Final Exam

"Some may pass the test… God help the rest."

1981 1h 30m EN

😐

5.1

MID

★5.1TMDB · 131

Horror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In a small college in North Carolina, only a select few students are left to take mid terms. But, when a killer strikes, it could be everyone's final exam.

“Some may pass the test… God help the rest.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

PhiloSubscription

Cast

Cecile Bagdadi
Courtney
Joel S. Rice
Radish
Ralph Brown
Wildman
DeAnna Robbins
Lisa
Sherry Willis-Burch
Janet
John fallon
Mark
Terry W. Farren
Pledge (Gary)
Timothy L. Raynor
Killer

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jimmy Huston
Writers: Jimmy Huston
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 8.0× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jimmy Huston, shot by Darrell Cathcart. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Gary S. Scott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John A. O'Connor shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Cecile Bagdadi and Joel S. Rice and Ralph Brown carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jimmy Huston directs. Darrell Cathcart behind the camera. Gary S. Scott scores. John A. O'Connor cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $0.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Made its money back 8.0× over at the box office.
445 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
5Directed by Jimmy Huston, shot by Darrell Cathcart. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Gary S. Scott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor John A. O'Connor shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Cecile Bagdadi and Joel S. Rice and Ralph Brown carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Some may pass the test… God help the rest.".
10IMDB entry: tt0082378 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 8 themes, including "college", "final exam", "north carolina", "campus".
12Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Darrell Cathcart
Original score: Gary S. Scott
Editing: John A. O'Connor
Makeup / hair: Barbara Galloway
Runtime: 90 min · 1h 30m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $374,000
Box office: $3,000,000
Return: 802% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Final Exam (1981)

Also by

Jimmy Huston

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2019-08-05
★ 6/10
The first college campus slasher A select number of youths at a college campus in North Carolina prepare to take their finals, but a mysterious killer is loose on campus who wants it to be their final exam. “Final Exam” (1981) is the first slasher to take place at a college campus, not counting “Black Christmas” (1974), which focused on a sorority house. It beat two other campus slashers to the theater by a few months: “Night School” and “The Prowler.” The Euro-slasher “Pieces” debuted the next year. These flicks paved the way for college slashers of the future, such as the “Urban Legends” trilogy (1998, 2000 & 2005). Some people don’t like “Final Exam” because it focuses on mundane University drama for most of its first hour before the killer finally attacks. But I didn’t mind this as it helped you to get to know the characters, which consist of the usual types: the smart virginal girl, the nerd, the bully jock, the hot babe who knows it and uses it to her advantage, the dumb blonde who’s obsessed with love, the pathetic pledge and the born leader. Another criticism is that the killer doesn’t have a mask and is without personality or motivation. But the lack of disguise makes the movie more realistic since a cumbersome mask wouldn’t be practical for an effective killer. Also, if you pay attention, one of the themes of the picture is the psycho killer that appears out of nowhere and seemingly slays at random, like the real-life Texas Tower Sniper at the University of Texas in Austin on August 1, 1966. Last weekend there were two massacres in El Paso and Dayton. How do you prepare for such an attack and how do you improve your chances of survival and victory if there is one? “Final Exam” addresses such issues. “Final Exam” cost $374,000 in 1981 and therefore comes off as a TV movie, albeit with overt murders, some gore and a little nudity. The film runs 1 hour, 29 minutes, and was shot at Isothermal Community College, just south of Spindale, North Carolina. GRADE: B-

Production companies