Slumber Party Massacre is a 2021 slasher film directed by Danishka Esterhazy and written by Suzanne Keilly. It is described as a "modern reimagining" of and stand-alone sequel to the original 1982 film The Slumber Party Massacre, and the fourth film released in the overall Massacre franchise. It stars Hannah Gonera, Alex McGregor, Schelaine Bennett, Mila Rayne, and Rob van Vuuren and follows a girls' slumber party which becomes a bloodbath when an escaped mental patient arrives with a power drill.
Shout! Studios announced a remake of the film to be helmed by director Danishka Esterhazy and written by Suzanne Keilly. Production began in Stellenbosch, South Africa in March 2021, with the cast being announced in April.
Slumber Party Massacre made its world premiere at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas on September 27, 2021, and was released on Syfy Channel on October 16. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its feminist themes, gore and the performances of the cast, but criticism for its screenplay, character development and pacing.
Plot
In 1993, Trish Devereaux is having a slumber party in a cabin in Holly Springs, California with friends Jackie, Kim, and Diane. When Chad, Trish's ex-boyfriend, arrives to confront Trish, he looks through the window to see the girls dancing, and he begins to masturbate. He sees a strange figure on the other side of the cabin. The figure is Russ Thorn, a killer who uses his power drill and kills Chad. When Russ makes his way inside the cabin, Kim and Diane are murdered. When Trish tries to stop Jackie from opening the front door, Russ drills Jackie in the throat, killing her. Despite getting drilled through her hand, Trish successfully escapes from Russ by hitting him with an oar, sending him inside the lake. It is believed that Russ drowned but his body is never found.
In present-day Los Angeles, Trish's daughter Dana is heading out for a girls weekend with best friends Maeve, Breanie, and Ashley. En route, the girls are in for a scare when they learn that Maeve's younger sister Alix had stowed away. The girls reluctantly let Alix join them, as they are on their way to the house they rented. Their car breaks down in the renamed Jolly Springs. When Ashley sees an ad for a cabin for rent that night, the girls talk to Kay, the owner of the general store and the cabin. Kay reluctantly lets the girls rent the cabin and warns them to stay quiet and stay still. As the girls start dancing, Alix gets bored and goes out for a walk. She sees a few guys at the cabin across the lake and soon finds the mechanic's truck in the middle of the road. The mechanic Dave falls on Alix with drilled out eyes. A blood-soaked Alix goes back to the cabin and warns the others when they see her. The girls soon yell "pillow fight" and reveal to sport weapons such as knives and baseball bats. The girls reveal to Alix that they know Russ Thorn is still alive and they have set everything up in an attempt to bait him out and kill him once and for all after 20 more victims have fallen since Trish's encounter.
The girls are interrupted by two of the guys from the cabin across the lake, John and Matt. John reveals he is a huge fan of a crime podcast and he and his buddies have rented out the actual cabin Russ Thorn killed Trish's friends in. Noticing the weapons, Matt freaks out and he and John leave. Dana and Maeve realize that Russ could pop out and go after the guys so they decide to follow them. The guys return to the cabin and have some fun with Sean, Guy 1, and Guy 2. When Guy 1 decides to go for a quick walk outside the cabin, he sees Russ Thorn and is excited to see him. That is until Russ breaks out the drill and kills Guy 1. When the girls arrive to the guys' cabin, Russ turns off the lights and during the chaos, Russ kills Guy 2 by drilling him in the head. Russ escapes and the girls soon reveal to the surviving guys that Russ is alive and they need to stop them. Sean grabs his guitar while Matt and John grab legs off their chairs and go after Russ despite the girls' warning. As Dana encounters Russ, a chase leads to Sean attempting to stop Russ and ends up getting drilled in the face. When Russ follows Dana to her cabin, he attempts a sneak attack but soon is met by the girls, who after beating him up, gives Dana the chance to kill Russ with a slash to the throat. Alix runs out and repeatedly stabs Russ, ensuring his death.