Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- eerie
- campy
- halloween night
- 1980s horror marathon
What critics said
Critics generally regarded it as a commercially successful but routine slasher that borrows heavily from Halloween and Carrie, with occasional horrific effectiveness amid uneven pacing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The climactic social event is Hamilton High School's prom, intercutting dancing and teenage festivity with murder.
Kelly, Jude, Wendy, and Nick conceal their role in Robin Hammond's accidental death for six years before the killer begins targeting them.
An unknown observer pursues the former participants in Robin's death, with the film withholding the avenger's identity amid suspicious clues.
The prom's dancing and youthful nightlife are paired with the masked killer, knife attacks, and revenge-driven suspense.
Films like Prom Night, and why
Halloween
shared high school slasher setting, masked killer, and suspenseful revenge premise
Carrie
shared prom-night horror, teenage social dynamics, and supernatural or retaliatory violence
Saturday Night Fever
shared disco-era youth culture, dance-floor spectacle, and teen-centered atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Paul Lynch
- Release Date
- 1980-07-18
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (511)
Cast
- Leslie Nielsen
- Jamie Lee Curtis
- Casey Stevens
- Anne-Marie Martin
- Antoinette Bower
- Michael Tough
- Robert A. Silverman
- Pita Oliver
- David Mucci
- Jeff Wincott
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Prom Night about?
- At a glittering high-school prom, a concealed childhood tragedy returns as a masked killer hunts the students who caused it.
- What is Prom Night like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Prom Night as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Prom Night violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Prom Night as graphic.
- What did critics think of Prom Night?
- Critics generally regarded it as a commercially successful but routine slasher that borrows heavily from Halloween and Carrie, with occasional horrific effectiveness amid uneven pacing.
- Which films are like Prom Night?
- Films with a similar feel include Halloween, Carrie, and Saturday Night Fever.
- How long is Prom Night?
- Prom Night runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Prom Night?
- In United States, Prom Night streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
