Dead Teenagers – Movie Review (2/5)

DEAD TEENAGERS is the third and final movie in the Fresh Hell trilogy. The plot of this one was really smart and intriguing. It just wasn’t very well executed. Read our full Dead Teenagers movie review here!

DEAD TEENAGERS is rounding out the Fresh Hell trilogy with this third movie. These past three weeks, we’ve got a gay conversion therapy horror story, an alt-right werewolf movie, and now a classic teen slasher with a twist.

I actually found myself really enjoying the idea and concept of this final movie. It just didn’t manage to hold up in terms of execution. Somehow, it took everything a bit too far and started losing me. Still, it is worth checking out.

Continue reading our Dead Teenagers movie review below. Find it on VOD from September 10, 2024.

A classic teen slasher

This final movie of the Fresh Hell trilogy covers what is perhaps the most iconic subgenre of horror; The Teen Slasher. And when it opens, there’s clearly also a nice touch of humor in there, which works really well for it overall.

We meet five teenagers on Spring Break in a cabin in the woods. So far, very classic. Also, they find themselves stalked by a killer. Also, very much the classic slasher story.

However, everything changes when the killer accidentally dies. This was not part of the plan, and the kids now discover that they’re actually in a horror movie.

The writer is God

After discovering the screenplay that they are apparently trapped in, they also find a typewriter. Now, they can change the script.

However, they cannot escape until they’ve arrived at the natural ending of any decent horror movie; With a final girl as the last person standing.

In other words, they must decide who among them will be the proverbial final girl of this story. The flip side of this, of course, is also deciding who will die. And how?!

The small cast of Dead Teenagers consists of Jordan Myers, Maya Jeyam, Tony White, Mary Charles Miller, and Angel Ray. These are the five teenagers who will have to go through a lot before it’s all over.

If you’ve watched the first Fresh Hell movie titled The Exorcism of Saint Patrick, you’ll recognize Maya Jeyam as a girl who previously went through conversion therapy.

Watch Dead Teenagers on VOD

As with each of the three movies in the FRESH HELL trilogy, the writer and director is Quinn Armstrong. I am very impressed with many of the choices made for this trilogy but often wasn’t too thrilled with the execution.

The concepts are so strong and the movies tend to begin in ways that I enjoy. However, for each of them – to some extent anyway – the final act can never quite live up to my expectations.

MORE HORROR TRILOGIES

Be sure to check out FEAR STREET on Netflix >

The idea of this FRESH HELL trilogy dealing with “Three Realities. Same Hell” is a great core concept. I believe I would’ve been a lot happier with just a few changes and I do recommend supporting this project.

Also, I will be keeping my eye out for whatever Quinn Armstrong does next. And this alone does speak volumes.

Dead Teenagers is Out on Demand on September 10, 2024.

Details

Director: Quinn Armstrong
Writer: Quinn Armstrong
Stars: Jordan Myers, Maya Jeyam, Tony White, Mary Charles Miller, Angel Ray, Beau Roberts