Happy Birthday to Me (1981)

"I make real good midnight snacks." - Virginia

Teenagers are being killed at a private school.
Starring: Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, Matt Craven, Jack Blum, Sharon Acker

Link to IMDB

Virginia is a student at The Crawford Academy, and she's friends with the most popular bunch of kids that call themselves the Top Ten. They all enjoy drinks at the local pub but some of their antics scare Virginia. She has a troubled past involving a car crash that killed her mother and left herself in a coma, and she's often haunted by these terrible memories.

Unknown to anyone, there's also a murderer on campus! Everyone assumes the victims are just missing, but we see that students are being killed by someone they know. The clues build suspense, as we become suspicious that almost any character could be the killer.

The stress of her friends disappearing is causing Virginia to remember more of her tragic past, but luckily she has her psychiatrist, Dr. David, to help her cope with the resurfacing memories.

The Top Ten gang

Dr. David

As more students are going missing, the police and school begin to take the matter seriously. Virginia is having lapses in her memory and she starts losing her grip on reality. Just when you think you've figured out where the plot is going, the twists start coming! There's still plenty of movie left, and the truth behind the murders is too gleefully absurd for anyone to predict.

This is really more of a psychological thriller than a standard slasher movie, and it's surprisingly clever. There are red herrings everywhere, keeping you constantly guessing on which clues you can rely on to identify the killer. It does feel a bit too long at times, but it moves fast enough to always keep you interested on where this unhinged story is going next.

Excellent style and atmosphere is created throughout, almost like a Hitchcock thriller updated with the aesthetics and humour of the late 70's. There's not a lot of gore, but the deaths are still well done and often memorable. With some shocking and crazy twists near the end, I appreciated how well the movie caught me off guard. It's quite fun to see such an admirably audacious climax, and it helps the movie stand-out as being unique.

Be sure not to miss:
- Those black gloves must have been on sale, because everyone's got a pair.
- The dog's name is Winston.
- Rats enough!

Internet review:
"It's the bee's knees." - Gallman

Should I watch it?
Yes, it's a hidden gem.

Where can I find it?
Links here.

Happy Birthday to Me gets...