Tags:
Film: April Fool’s Day
Year: 1986
Director: Fred Walton
Writer: Banilo Bach
Starring: Deborah Foreman, Griffin O’Neal and Clayton Rohner
Review:
This is a film that I originally saw at least part of due to my older cousin Jason. I was visiting and when we went to watch a movie that night, he put this on. It would be years until I revisited this. I believe that next time was when I was living in Parma, OH. I’ll be honest, at that point in my journey through cinema, I didn’t care for it. The reveal annoyed me. I’ve now given this a rewatch as a Scouring through the Sixes.
Synopsis: nine college students staying at a friend's remote island mansion begin to fall victim to an unseen murderer over the April Fool's Day weekend, but nothing is as it seems.
We then start with someone shooting a home movie. The person that is being filmed is Nikki Brashears (Deborah Goodrich). She is telling things about herself and we realize that she is doing it as a joke. She is actually stuck-up. The one filming her is Chaz Vyshinsky (Clayton Rohner). He has the typical 80s style and he is arrogant as well.
They are with a jock who also is a prankster, Arch Cummings (Tom Wilson). They’re headed to a college friend’s island home for the weekend. Her name is Muffy St. John (Deborah Foreman). Her distant cousin, Skip (Griffin O’Neal) is with them as well. He also likes to play jokes. Also here is Kit Graham (Amy Steel), another friend from college.
Let me then introduce Muffy. Her family is from money and she is set to inherit a large sum soon. She is cleaning, preparing it for her friends to arrive. For the opening credits, we see Muffy finding a Jack-in-the-box toy and remembering the birthday when she received it as a gift. Something interesting here came with a prank.
Now the only way to and from the island is by ferry. The ferryman (Lloyd Berry) wants to leave soon, but they are waiting on last minute arrivals. There is a Texan named Harvey ‘Hal’ Edison Jr. (Jay Baker). He sat next to Muffy in an economics class. He’s hoping to meet her uncle who is a successful wall street businessman. There is Nan Youngblood (Lea Pinsent) who was in the drama club with Muffy. She’s anxious by nature. There is also Kit’s boyfriend, Rob Ferris (Ken Olandt).
Also working on the ferry is Buck (Mike Nomad). As they get going, Arch and Skip play a weird game with his switchblade. Nikki strips down into her bikini to get some sun and Hal tries to talk to her. The calm ends though when a dispute breaks out between Arch and Skip, but it also turns out to be a prank. Something happens from here. Buck and other guys jumped into the water. He decided to stay in to help tie the ferry off. He gets trapped between it and the dock, resulting in his face being smashed.
Luckily Constable Potter (Tom Heaton) was near the docking point. He allows the ferryman and Buck to take his boat. He informs Muffy he’ll borrow her family boat. This means that this group is trapped on the island.
A strange group dinner features Barbie dolls resembling each guest. Pranks begin immediately: Arch’s chair collapses, Nikki is sprayed by a faucet and finds bondage gear, and Hal’s cigar explodes. Other eerie touches include an eyeless painting with a moving clock behind it and clippings of local accidents. Nan is the most unsettled, especially after hearing a recording of a crying baby in her room. Skip goes out to the boathouse where he’s attacked. Kit thinks she sees him the next day, but he’s missing. This starts a search.
As the group starts to disappear and people are finding odd things, it becomes a race to get off the island before it is too late. This is a much bigger problem and not everything is as it seems.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start would be that I didn’t necessarily care for the reveal of this film. This would have been the first time that I watched this with a critical eye. For me, it did feel like there was quite a bit that was undone which bothers me. What I’ll say is that having seen this again, as a more seasoned cinephile and seeing more slasher films, it didn’t bother me.
What works here is the setting. I love that we have this group of college kids coming to an island. They’re then isolated and unable to get away. Then you have them start to disappear. There are suspects like the ferryman and Buck. Muffy starts to act odd the next day. Then I mean, it could anyone that is staying here, especially since no one truly knows Hal or Nan aside from the host. Then to couple that with different things that each character finds in their rooms adds to the mystery. I appreciate all this.
Following the trend of "holiday" slashers like Black Christmas, Halloween, and Friday the 13th, this film uses April Fool's Day to justify its many pranks. Initially, characters dismiss the danger because pranksters Skip and Arch are the first to vanish. Tension only rises once bodies are discovered, yet their subsequent disappearance—reminiscent of Friday the 13th—causes the survivors to doubt their own eyes.
The film also explores the theme of masked identities. As the characters are isolated, their true natures—or perhaps new facades—begin to surface. Specifically, Muffy undergoes a notable transformation; she is also the sole link to Nan and Hal prior to the trip. Utilizing ‘Old Dark House’ tropes and referencing Agatha Christie, specifically her story And Then There Were None, the story effectively subverts genre expectations.
That covers the narrative. While my appreciation for slashers has waned, this film succeeds through its strong characters. Steel excels as Kit, sharing a relatable dynamic with Olandt as he faces post-graduation uncertainty. Foreman provides a solid performance, particularly in establishing a baseline before her character shifts. Goodrich and Rohner effectively portray their arrogant roles, while Wilson, O’Neal, Baker, and Pinsent round out a capable supporting cast.
That just leaves the filmmaking aspects. I’ll start with cinematography and framing. I like this isolated island as the setting. Setting it up by the characters needing a ferry to get here is good. I’ll also credit what we see of the kills. I do think that this movie falls short with the effects, but there’s a good reason there. What we did see was practically done and looked good. Other than that, I do think that the sound design helps make things feel eerie. The music also fits what was needed.
In conclusion, this is a successful entry in the slasher genre that thrives on its isolated island setting and its clever subversion of expectations. While the polarizing reveal may have been a point of contention in the past, a more seasoned perspective reveals a film that effectively utilizes 'Old Dark House' tropes and pays homage to Christie’s And Then There Were None. Supported by a solid ensemble cast, atmospheric cinematography, and eerie sound design, the film stands as a well-crafted mystery that rewards a critical rewatch.
My Rating: 7 out of 10