Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

Final Exam Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 13, 2014

Your tolerance for exposition will probably be the single most important factor in whether or not you’ll enjoy Final Exam. After just having made the case in my Evilspeak Blu-ray review that audiences prefer to have some kind of connection to at least one major character in a satisfying horror film, I now find myself arguing a somewhat contrarian position that sometimes at least there can be too much backstory. Final Exam is both praised and derided in about equal measure for taking a lot of time in setting up various characters at a college in the midst of, yes, final exams, while a crazed maniac is on the loose on campus.

While the tendency has been to lump Final Exam in with a bunch of its eighties slasher kin, the fact is the film is rather different, which is not to say successful, in a number of ways. Aside from the really long and frankly slow buildup to the final act carnage, there are a number of kind of odd stylistic components, including a basically unmotivated killer whose identity is never fully explained, first hidden and then divulged in a scene that fails to be revelatory because we simply don't know anything about him. There's also a strange decision to start the film off in a traditional manner—with some killings, of course—only to retreat into more pedestrian fare like college hijinks (including some pranks involving kids pretending to shoot their classmates, something that may not play well in this post school shooting environment) and character beats for the next hour. Final Exam does finally explode into something akin to the best remembered slasher films of its era, but by then most audience members will have probably already left for summer vacation.

Final Exam Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Final Exam is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory (an imprint of Shout! Factory) and Code Red with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This transfer is being touted as a "new high definition transfer from the original camera negative", and the results here are largely commendable. Don't be concerned by a few errant specs that show up during the very first moments of the credits; after those pass, this is a surprisingly pristine element and has no real damage to speak of. Colors are very pleasingly reproduced, including some bright primaries (including blood red, of course). Sharpness is aided by generally very strong contrast and good, deep black levels, something that also helps the film's final carnage, which plays out largely in the shadows of night.

Final Exam Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Final Exam's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono mix provides stable support for this largely dialogue driven piece. Gary Scott's music, which has a certain Tubular Bells vibe, sound clear if a bit synth heavy at times. The few foley effects like knives slashing into skin or female screams are delivered with clarity and precision.

Final Exam Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interviews with Cast Members:

  Joel S. Rice (480i; 6:47)

  Cecile Bagdadi (480i; 3:43)

  Sherry Willis-Burch (480i; 4:58)

• Theatrical Trailer (480p; 1:31)


• Audio Commentary with Cast Members Joel S. Rice, Cecile Bagdadi and Sherry Willis-Burch

Final Exam Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Final Exam simply spends too much time setting things up that even its okay payoff doesn't quite equal a large enough return on investment. This is yet another nice Shout! release that boasts excellent technical merits and at least a couple of decent supplements, so fans of the film should be well pleased.