In this high-school horror that liberally borrows from a whole roster of recent fright flicks, tormented students host a murder party to get their revenge on the bullying jocks and prom queens who have made their lives a misery. But a strong ensemble cast of unknowns, stylish photography, a neat vein of dark humour and understated direction by Joey Stewart effectively mask the more familiar ingredients. There's way too much stagey exposition in the middle that puts the well-maintained early pace off-kilter. However, once the "invitation only" party gets under way, and the real bashing begins in earnest, it gets scarily nasty without going overboard on gore as knives, saws and acupuncture needles do their worst. The Columbine campus tragedy isn't explicitly referenced, yet it's clearly the motivation for much of the subtext that keeps bubbling to the surface.

A group of high school outcasts get revenge on the students that torment them.