[7]
Despite a title that can’t help but over-promise and under-deliver on our expectations, The Final Terror is one of the better teen horror flicks of the early ’80s. Co-written by Ronald Shusett (Alien) and directed by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive), the film follows a teen youth corps as they travel deep into California’s Redwood Forest to clear some natural river dams and have a little fun. These plans go to hell, of course, when a mysterious killer begins preying on the group.
The film isn’t nearly as graphic or gory as a Friday the 13th movie, which might be one of the reasons it has languished in relative obscurity for decades. Davis seems determined to make it more of a thriller than an outright horror movie — but it works. There’s moderate suspense and the forest setting provides tons of lush, creepy atmosphere. The photography is far above average, with some of the best nighttime forest photography I’ve ever seen in a low-budget genre movie. Susan Justin’s inventive score, mixing synthesizers with her own voice and some exotic instruments like the blaster beam, is another highlight. The film also does a good job obscuring the villain and keeping their identity a mystery right up until the very end.
The cast is more than capable, including some up-and-comers like Daryl Hannah (Splash), Adrian Zmed (Bachelor Party), and Akosua Busia (The Color Purple). Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix, The Goonies) gives one of the film’s most memorable performances as the group’s hot-headed bus driver. With John Friedrich, Rachel Ward, Ernest Harden Jr, and Mark Metcalf.