“Departing Seniors” Is A Slasher-Comedy With A Gay Protagonist And Plenty Of Hot Tormentors
We aren’t quite sure when it happened, but the slasher genre has come back into popularity. Think Terrifier (1, 2 and 3), Scream, Happy Death Day and Thanksgiving. Although, not all of the new slashers are as gory and horrific as these examples.
Departing Seniors is a black-comedy slasher about senior Javier (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio) who gains the ability of foresight after being shoved down a staircase by bullies. His new abilities allow him to predict the gruesome murders of his peers, including his closeted jock boyfriend, and it’s now up to him to save them if he can.
Bringing a sense of fun back into film
Departing Seniors seems to give similar vibes to Totally Killer – a comedy slasher about a girl time travelling back to the ’80s to save her mum’s friend group from being brutally murdered. The premises of both films include a serial killer, supernatural intervention and the absurdity of high school dynamics.
With his newfound psychometry (ability to see the future through touch), Javier discovers that someone is killing off his graduating class in their final days of senior year. With his whole life ahead of him, Javier has to grapple with deciding whether risking his future to save his homophobic bullies is worth it.
The cast includes Yani Gellman, Ireon Roach, Sasha Kuznetsov and Maisie Merlock. The horror genre has remained steady for decades with a predictable hero’s journey and character stereotypes. That’s why tropes have become so recognisable; drunken teenagers, masked killers, “pure” final girls. The new generation of slasher films are including diverse narratives such as in Departing Seniors where our main protagonist (or, final gay) is a queer, Mexican-American student with a Black best friend.
Departing Seniors is also tackling slasher with a hint of levity. When the character with the psychic abilities that could save everyone has been mistreated by those who need him, it’s more than fair to understand the hesitation. Nonetheless, this movie is bringing a sense of fun to the genre that’s relied, in the past, on heavy use of tropes and gore to deliver an impact.
The release date for Departing Seniors is set for February 02, 2024, and will be available in theatres and on streaming platforms.
