Sorority Row

This remake to the slasher flick “House on Sorority Row” is surprisingly gripping. Yes, it shares many similarities with countless genre titles from the past, but there’s something that exist in 2009’s “Sorority Row” that’s refreshing.

“Sorority Row” centers on a group of sorority girls who try to cover up the death of their house-sister after a prank goes horribly wrong. Basically, they tried to fool a guy into thinking she was dead and for some bizarre reason, he decides to stab her. After dumping the body down a hole they make a pact to never speak of the incident again (“I Know What You Did Last Summer” anyone?). Several months later, however, they find themselves being stalked by a mysterious killer who may have witnessed their crime.

If there’s one thing movie-goers have learned from watching these kind of films, it’s never to go into them expecting a masterpiece. Of course the dialogue is going to be cheesy and the characters identical to cardboard cut-outs, but with some inventive slayings and dark humor, it’s not hard to keep viewers entertained. On this level, “Sorority Row” succeeds.

An unusual aspect of this flick is its ability to cause viewers to jump in their seats. I’ve seen seemingly countless slasher flicks over the years and lets face it, the chances of the writers actually spooking the audience is about as slim as getting struck by lightning. With this particular movie, however, I found myself startled more than once.

Overall, “Sorority Row” is a unique, cleverly crafter little horror movie. As far as genre flicks go, this one is pretty tame in terms of violence, but the death scenes are innovative and the ending is a total surprise. Definitely one to see this holiday season.