Departing Seniors-- My take on the movie with spoilers!

 

Plot: Following a bullying incident, Javier gains psychic abilities that may help him stop a masked killer from killing his classmates.

Remember Stephen King's DEAD ZONE? In the novel, the protagonist gains psychic abilities after suffering an injury and falling into a coma.

Why am I bringing this up? That's because this premise pretty much sums up the plot of DEPARTING SENIORS.

Although, the movie does take the fun route and intermingles slasher elements as well.

Departing Seniors is promoted as a comedy horror but quite honestly it severely falters in the comedy department. And it isn't as if there weren't any opportunities. The movie is pretty much a teen drama romance rather than a horror movie.

The mystery and the killings are added in as an afterthought. And the killer's identity can be guessed in the first scene itself. It's just too obvious and the motive even more so.

There's just something missing in Departing Seniors. A sense of thrill. A hint of mystery. A scene that will keep you on the edge of your seat. And of course, that one scene that makes you laugh with relief after a very tense scene.

Suffice to say, the movie is just not an effective slasher movie. It is however, a decent enough teen drama movie to actually enjoy.

DEPARTING SENIORS Plot

A guy is at a pool, bullying another by trying to drown him. Seconds later, a man in a mask comes up behind him and stabs him.

We then meet Javier who is best friends with Bianca. 

Javier is the misfit in high school who keeps getting picked on by the jocks Brad, Trevor and his girlfriend  Ginny.

The three pass comments on Javier as he walks past and when he retorts, he is pushed around.

Their English teacher Mr Arda notices all of this and keeps asking Javier if he is being bullied but he never complains.

In class, Javier and Ginny get into an argument where he pretty much calls her basic. Another classmate, William, tries to team up with Javier but isn't witty enough.

After class, the jocks accidentally bump into Mr Arda and he spills coffee all over himself.

He looks harried and since the focus is too much on him and him noticing Javier getting bullied, it is easy to guess where his character is headed. And if you remember him from Pretty Little Liars, you probably made a guess right now and have gotten it right.

Spoiler alert, Mr Arda is the killer and based on how he looks at bullying incidents, it's obvious he was bullied himself once which is why he wants to exact revenge from every bully.

After class, William musters the courage to talk to William and asks him out. Javier cannot believe one of his classmates his crushing on him just a few days before graduation.

Ginny notices the exchange and isn't too happy that her nemesis is happy.

At lunch, she devises a plan to trick Javier and humiliate him. She pretends to be William and sends a text to Javier who doesn't have William's number but instantly guesses the messages are for him.

Bianca, who is foul-mouthed and has a "I-don't-care-attitude" fully supports Javier.

But Brad doesn't seem too pleased with the prank. We find out that Javier and Brad had made out but didn't continue into a relationship.

And so the ruse is set.

Javier leaves his class and thinks William is texting him to wait near the library.

As soon as he heads over there, Ginny, who has filled a balloon with Starbucks coffee, throws it at him.

Javier isn't too pleased to be soaked with tepid pumpkin spice latte. He calls Ginny basic again and spoils her prank.

Trevor makes a remark about Javier's preference in partners and he reveals his tryst with Brad.

After that Brad loses his cool and Javier has to throw his backpack at the bullies in order to escape.

The chase ends with Javier falling off the stairs. Brad is horrified while Ginny looks pleased.

When Javier comes to, he finds himself in a hospital. Mr. Arda has brought him there and asks him how he fell, while fully suspecting that Javier was a victim of bullying. Javier spots Brad roaming about with a Teddy bear and makes up a story of slipping and falling down the stairs.

Later, a nurse comes over and when she touches Javier to check his vitals, he has a vision of her losing her grandfather, and her mourning. He freaks out and tells the nurse not to touch him again.

He is discharged with only a neck brace. Miraculously, he suffered no injuries. At home, he touches a painting made by Bianca and has weird visions of her when she made it.

At school, Javier finds Brad waiting for him who apologizes. He calls Javier brave for being so open about his preferences. He gives Javier the Teddy bear.

Bianca finds out what happened to her friend and punches Brad. However, when Javier drops the Teddy, she remembers to pick it up and run behind him.

After touching Brad, Javier has had a vision of him hanging in the locker room. He reveals his new power to Bianca who doesn't really believe him but understands that sometimes people end up with special abilities.

Javier realizes his vision may come true and wants to help Brad.

In the locker room, Trevor forbids Brad from showering with the others because he doesn't want Brad peeping on him.

Brad is sent out but he doesn't seem depressed enough to want to hurt himself. After the other exit the showers, Trevor lets Brad go who then hears someone else enter.

It's the masked killer. The mask is from Drama club. The killer hangs Brad.

Javier demands to know where Brad is but Trevor acts like a jerk. Bianca screams at him after which he accompanies them to break open the shower room.

They arrive too late and find Brad is dead.

Trevor is guilt-ridden since he believes his comments pushed his friend to the edge.

Bianca now fully believes that Javier has psychic powers.

While everyone in school is mourning, Trevor approaches Javier and apologizes even though Ginny doesn't think he deserves one.

Javier gets a vision of Trevor being attacked by a masked killer. But he can't figure out the location in his vision.

A depressed Trevor goes to the spot where he used to hang out with Brad but the killer is waiting for him. He kills Trevor and as usual, Javier and Bianca arrive too late to save him.

This time, Javier realizes that contrary to what other people think, Trevor and Brad didn't commit suicide, but were killed by a serial killer.

DEPARTING SENIORS Ending Explained

Javier needs to find the identity of the killer fast since graduation is approaching and he doesn't want to lose any more classmates.

He has an inkling that Ginny may be next. He also gets a vision from William's textbook which suggests that he may be the killer.

He decides to set up a trap with Bianca at the stage

Bianca tries to get William distracted but learns that the Moby Dick book wasn't his since he lost his and borrowed from someone else.

At the stage area, Ginny and Javier are accosted by the masked killer.

He reveals himself to be Mr Arda and tells them about how much he hates bullies and since Ginny is a bully, she must be punished.

Javier tries to be a hero and is knocked out. William comes to save him and is practically stabbed. Bianca is punched too.

Ginny runs about the hall and almost ends up in the killer's clutches but Javier traps him first.

Javier manages to save the day and pursue a relationship with William.

The movie ends.

DEPARTING SENIORS clearly needed an effective climax to make it memorable but ends up lacking even that.

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