By 1981, slashers were becoming all the rage, and they would feature prominently in the horror genre for years to come. Night School is yet another entry into that class, and while it may not rise to the top, it is a fairly enjoyable outing that finds its killer beheading his victims, something a little different from the norm.

The film begins with a killing at a playground, a gruesome note to start things off on, yet a perfect one as well. Things slow down for a bit as the police investigate, and viewers are introduced to Rachel Ward in her movie debut, a student at Wendell College. There are a couple of red herrings along the way, with director Ken Hughes trying to throw his audience off track by making them think it might be the strange busboy at the local diner, or the professor who has a reputation for liking the ladies and is currently involved in an affair with Ward’s character, Eleanor. As things move along and more women die in horrible ways, all of them being beheaded, the cops realize that they are somewhat tied to Professor Millett, as well as Eleanor too. It all leads to a revelation that is somewhat predictable, but welcome nevertheless.

While Ward would go on to have a fairly lengthy career, still acting to this very day, her debut was less than impressive. She had the looks, and it is easy to see why she was cast in this role, but her abilities at the time left a lot to be desired. She was fairly wooden at times, and the only moment she seemed to break out of her shell, even a little, was the finale. On the flip side, Leonard Mann was the complete opposite: a veteran of the big screen by this point and a solid addition to the cast. The script may not have been all that great, particularly the dialogue in certain places, and the story could have used a few twists in the nuts and bolts to make it flow a little more smoothly, but the horror that was present balanced it all out.

All of the kills would end up being similar in nature, not a bad thing per se, as the killer has a method to their madness, but each would be entertaining, especially when and where the heads would turn up. It was gruesome at times, bloody and violent and really gave the picture what it needed to be interesting, as without the murders, or if they had taken place fully off screen, it would have ended up being pretty bland. As it is, Hughes does his best with the material, infusing it with a bit of style to create atmosphere, even throwing in a shower scene reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Factor in some other interesting characters and just a little bit of suspense to keep viewers holding on, with an ending that is fairly decent if not predictable, and Night School ends up being a curious and well-made slasher.

2.5 out of 5