On paper, April Fool’s Day seems like a fantastic idea. It’s an early deconstruction of the slasher genre inspired by Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”. While the murders and motivation may be different, the movie does focus on a group trapped on an island only accessible by ferry. Where it falls apart is in the final moments of the movie when the killer’s plan is revealed. This final twist sets April Fool’s Day apart from the other golden age slashers. But does it do this in a good way?
- Directed by: Fred Walton
- Written by: Danilo Bach
- Starring: Amy Steel Deborah Foreman Griffin O’Neal
April Fool’s Day was produced by Frank Mancuso Jr, probably best known involved in the sequels to Friday the 13th franchise. His involvement led to the casting of Amy Steel also from Friday the 13th 2 as Kit Graham. Other notable cast members include Back to the Future’s Tom Wilson as Arch, and 80’s breakout star, Deborah Foreman.
His role in production also let to some unfulfilled expectations. After all, it was advertised as a holiday themed slasher set on a remote island with the tag line “Get ready to party til you drop” Critics and fans looking for the next Halloween or Friday the 13th were at best underwhelmed.
The Setup
A group of college friends celebrate spring break at the island home of Muffy St. John. It’s a great mix of personalities: artists, sycophants, horny college students, and practical jokers. The movie nails all the basic archetypes for a standard slasher. As they board the ferry, we’ve already hit a few genre standards, including establishing our remote location, the island home of Muffy.
Since it’s April Fools, the group is constantly playing pranks on each other. In the aftermath of one of the pranks, one of the ferry men, Buck, gets badly injured. Now, being honest, the kids’ prank was in bad taste, but to blame Buck’s accident on them is a bit of a stretch. At any rate, the weekend takes a bit of gloomy turn.
Muffy shows up and the group tries to recoup with dirty jokes, girl talk, and general good times. The low-stakes pranks continue with whoopie cushions, fake chairs, and dribble glasses.
Possible Motive
The conversation turns to what the group is going to do when they graduate. Most of the people there are rich, except for Kit’s boyfriend, Rob. He’s clearly aware of the class divide and tries not to draw attention to it, even if Kit is oblivious.
As the group settles in for the night, it becomes clear that the whole house is booby trapped. These pranks have taken a darker and more disturbing tone, starting with exploding cigars and ending with heroin supplies left in a cabinet. There even seems to be a personal slant to these “pranks”. This escalates when Nan, one of Muffy’s drama school friends, is pranked with a hidden recording of a baby crying. This is especially cruel as Nan has either just had an abortion or is planning one.
The Reveal – Major Spoilers Ahead
As the pranks escalate, members of the group start going missing. There’s a lot of drama as the survivors start to suspect each other, and Muffy starts dressing and acting not quite like herself. Severed heads are found, and panic sets in as the survivors learn that the ferry won’t return until Monday morning. Once the group is whittled down to just Kit and Rob, they discover that Muffy is actually her deranged homicidal twin, Buffy. Buffy chases Kit around the mansion with a giant knife.
Only the knife is fake. No one is dead. There is no Buffy. It wasn’t really an April Fool’s joke though. Instead, Muffy was doing an unannounced trial run of her murder mystery hotel weekend concept. Only she neglected to tell the guests. They forgive quickly considering the trauma of the weekend. All’s well that ends well.
So, no one died, like at all. The entire movie is one giant fake out. Even Buck’s accident was part of her master plan. It turns out he’s really a special effects artist.
How is it a Slasher
It’s not. No one dies.
Up until that’s revealed, it has all the standard elements. Isolation, a killer with a traumatic past who stalks their victims.The booby trapped house is a nice touch. Muffy really did her homework.
Why We Love It Anyway
It’s perfect gateway horror. It’s low on scares and gore, making it a perfect entry point for those curious about the genre. I’d recommend it to more younger audiences, if the college kids weren’t so focused on sex all the time. The story resolves happily, and while Muffy’s motive strains credibility, it never moves too far out of the realm of acceptable fluff. April Fool’s Day is a comedy first and anything else second.
Why It Wasn’t A Bigger Hit
It’s hard to classify April Fool’s Day. I suspect they had a difficult time marketing it. The most interesting part of the movie is the part that shouldn’t be revealed. Fans expecting the next Halloween or Friday the 13th could be disappointed by the lack of genuine thrilling kills.
Because it abandons its slasher premise, it also leaves behind all the subplots and character background hinted at during the pranks. It’s one of the biggest issues of the movie. Any of the class discussions and pranks that hint at secrets don’t matter, since there is no real motive.
The Remake
In 2008, the Butcher Brothers remade April Fool’s Day. It wasn’t well received. A large part of this could be due to the expectation of a twist. It’s much less fun when you’re looking for the surprise. The plot also comes across as a bit of a mash up of other movies which, isn’t a terrible thing if the execution is solid. I’ll let you be the judge of how well they pull it off.
Could someone make a great April Fool’s Day remake or reboot today, and still pull off a convincing twist? Yes, assuming marketing cooperates. People look for twists too easily these days, so outsmarting movie goers is a real challenge.
Final Thoughts
April Fool’s Day is fun. It’s light and low stakes. Even the sections before the reveal are broken up by moments of levity. Everything resolves nicely with no damage done. H3 would probably watch this one, and he might not hate it.
It was a departure from the expected formula and largely not what viewers were expecting. While the movie has some flaws, it’s also fun and engaging. It’s not the first or the last movie to start to break out of the slasher pattern but it’s one of the more memorable. It’s also the only non-slasher slasher on my list. It deserves another watch, especially today.
April Fool’s Day is available on streaming:
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