My quick rating – 5.3/10. Departing Seniors is the kind of horror-thriller that lands somewhere between intriguing concept and clumsy execution. It’s a teen slasher that tries to blend social commentary, high school politics, and psychic murder visions, only to end up sort of half-passing each.
The story follows Javier (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio), a high school senior who gets so severely bullied that he winds up in the hospital. But instead of just therapy bills and some fresh trauma, he comes back with the unsettling ability to see snippets of gruesome murders right before they happen. Naturally, this sends him and his sharp-tongued best friend Bianca (Ireon Roach) on a mission to catch the killer stalking their hallways, all while trying not to get offed themselves.
It’s a solid enough premise, part Final Destination, part Scream, with a little psychic twist. Unfortunately, the movie’s pacing often sputters. It meanders through cafeteria politics and clunky character drama when it should be ramping up tension. By the time the killer gets around to thinning the cast, you’re half-wondering if the guidance counselor might be the next victim just to spice things up.
Speaking of the cast, it’s mostly made up of unknown faces, which actually works in the film’s favor. Nobody feels like a big-name cameo waiting to get dramatically stabbed, and for the most part, they do fine with what they’re given, minus the occasional overblown line delivery that belongs in a CW audition tape.
The characters themselves are a mixed bag, leaning heavily toward the unlikable side. Sure, Javier is meant to be the sympathetic underdog, but the first chance he gets, he turns right around and becomes a bully himself. Hard to root for someone who’s only a victim until the power dynamic flips. It’s that kind of sloppy moral grayness that would be fascinating if it felt intentional, but here, it just comes off messy.
On the horror front, don’t expect much blood. The kills are firmly PG-13, creative enough to keep you mildly interested but nowhere near gnarly enough for us seasoned slasher fans craving buckets of gore. And yes, the movie’s logic often takes a vacation. We’re talking “how exactly did he hang himself without anything to stand on?” level of head-scratching.
Still, the whodunit angle injects enough mystery to keep things watchable. You’ll find yourself running through your mental suspect list right alongside Javier and Bianca, which at least gives the movie a little energy when the suspense falters.
In the end, Departing Seniors is perfectly fine for a one-time watch, especially if you’re a slasher completionist. It’s flawed, uneven, and sometimes downright silly, but it delivers enough psychic clues and masked killer mayhem to pass the time. Just don’t expect to be haunted by it once the credits roll or to remember half these kids’ names by morning.
There are a few freebies along with Amazon and other paid streamers.