End of Term (2023)

"Uneven Horror With An Interesting Cast"

There's that distinct feel of a job half done with END OF TERM, which is getting a digital release from Reel 2 Reel Films.

A student at a prestigious arts academy is taken in for questioning by police after she is found at the remote institution in a state of shock and with her face scarred. She relates a story to DS Stacy Harcourt (Julie Graham from TOWER BLOCK and lots of TV) and  DI Jim Burman (David Bamber from LIMEHOUSE GOLEM and lots of TV as well) that leads us into a series of flashbacks about the final day of term.

There's an art exhibition hosted by the academy's principle (Peter Davison) and attended by, amongst others, a snooty art critic (Ronald Pickup) who meets a horrible end. Back at the academy the end of term party descends into a bloodbath, with the killings possibly linked to famously loony artist Garth Stroman (Ivan Kaye from TV's Vikings). Or are they?

Despite boasting an interesting cast and a plot that culminates in something appropriately bonkers, END OF TERM has a very half-baked feel to it indeed, as if about an hour of footage was shot before the production ran out of money, or time, or the will to live. The running time is padded out with dull police interrogation footage and the film eventually staggers to something of a non-ending. And that's a real shame because with the talent on show here END OF TERM could have been a seriously decent British horror picture in the style of 1971's CRUCIBLE OF TERROR, or even a Pete Walker film. 

A quick check of imdb suggests that it was originally shot in 2016, and there's a copyright date of 2019 on the end credits, but the film hasn't been released until now. The fact that the credited director is different from the director on the press release (who on the film is only cited as directing the 'Brighton footage') might also be significant. Horror fans with long memories may be reminded of when Lucio Fulci fell ill making ZOMBIE 3 and had to have his movie completed in the gratingly different style of Bruno Mattei. One suspects the story behind the making of END IF TERM might possibly be more interesting than the actual end product, but pontification on that alone may provide enough entertainment value for some.

END OF TERM is out on Digital from Reel 2 Reel on Monday 2nd October 2023