Oh, The Debutantes, how you manage to take every cliché and tired trope in the high school horror genre and smash them all together into a convoluted mess. Watching this film is like walking through a haunted house where every room you enter is worse than the last, and by the end, you’re not sure if you’re scared or just deeply regretting your life choices.
Let’s begin with the most important question: What exactly is The Debutantes? Is it a supernatural slasher? Is it a coming-of-age drama? Is it a horror-comedy? Honestly, at this point, I’m not sure the filmmakers knew either. The plot revolves around a group of popular high school girls who decide to bully Kate (played by Sue Ramirez), the awkward, weird girl who just wants to be friends with them. Classic, right? You know where this is going. Kate gets invited to their party, they pull a prank on her (which is as juvenile as it is predictable), and—surprise—things go south quickly.
Plot: It’s Like Mean Girls with a Supernatural Twist… and a Dull One at That
The premise of The Debutantes could’ve easily been written by a 14-year-old fan fiction writer who just learned about mean girls and horror movies. Kate, the socially awkward protagonist, wants to be part of the cool crowd. She’s the “ugly duckling” who dreams of being in with the popular girls, and naturally, they decide to make her life miserable. Because, you know, why not? Who hasn’t dreamed of being a villain in a bad teen horror flick?
The plot takes its first misstep when the girls pull a prank on Kate during Jenny’s (Jane De Leon) 18th birthday party, which leads to the standard horror movie set-up: Kate has a nightmare about a curse, which no one believes—because of course, why would they? The movie plays out like a mix of Carrie and Final Destination, except with a bunch of characters you don’t care about and a supernatural entity that’s as threatening as a wet napkin.
After Kate is ignored by the girls and they continue bullying her, the supernatural killing spree begins. The “debutantes” start dying one by one as they turn 18, which I’m sure is meant to be some tragic metaphor about how life ends at 18 or how youth is fleeting. But honestly, the only thing that’s fleeting here is the coherence of the plot. The deaths themselves are as uninspired as the rest of the film, relying on jump scares that are about as effective as a plastic knife in a slasher film.
The Characters: Are They Even Characters or Just Horror Movie Stereotypes?
Let’s talk about the characters—or should I say, the walking, talking horror movie stereotypes? You’ve got Kate, the “misunderstood” protagonist who just wants to be liked. She’s the type of girl who wears oversized sweaters and thick glasses to show that she’s different (we get it, movie). Then there’s Lara (Miles Ocampo), the one girl who actually seems to care about Kate, but only after the whole group decides to terrorize her for a good portion of the film. Then there are the other girls: Jenny, Candice, and Shayne, who embody every stereotypical “mean girl” trope in existence. These girls exist to bully, die, and serve as cannon fodder for the supernatural killer that seems as interested in the plot as we are.
The performances? Well, let’s just say that the most memorable moment of acting in the entire movie is when the girls are trying to scream for their lives, but it’s about as convincing as a high school production of The Crucible. The actors try, bless them, but they’re working with dialogue that feels like it was written by a room full of 13-year-olds hopped up on Red Bull and internet memes.
The Supernatural Killer: The Debutantes Takes the “Scary” Out of Supernatural
Now, let’s talk about the supernatural entity that’s causing all the trouble. This is supposed to be a demon or a spirit that’s hunting the girls one by one. Unfortunately, The Debutantes’s villain isn’t nearly as terrifying as the premise suggests. In fact, I’d be more scared of a stuffed animal that comes to life than this poorly designed ghost. The film’s attempt to build tension through “creepy moments” falls flat, as we get over-the-top death sequences and an ending that’s meant to be shocking, but instead just feels like the film gave up and randomly decided to end.
The curse that’s killing off the debutantes isn’t even interesting. The film relies on the idea of a haunted curse that kills teenage girls after they turn 18, but that’s not new, nor is it even remotely clever. It’s like the filmmakers thought, “Hey, let’s take some random elements from successful teen slasher films and just sprinkle a little supernatural on top!” Unfortunately, that’s all they did, and it didn’t work.
The Deaths: A Comedy of Errors
I’m not sure what was funnier: the deaths themselves or the fact that the characters seemed to have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever. Seriously, these girls are dying left and right, and instead of running for their lives, they’re doing things like standing in dark rooms alone or having heart-to-heart conversations while a supernatural killer is literally hunting them down. There’s no urgency, no panic, and no reason to care about anyone’s fate.
The deaths are predictable at best, with a few token jump scares thrown in. None of them are as thrilling as you’d expect in a slasher film. It’s like watching a group of people in a haunted house with no stakes, no consequences, and no real danger. In the end, the deaths are just a formality before the predictable final showdown.
The Ending: “Is That It?”
The ending of The Debutantes is exactly what you’d expect from a film that has no idea how to conclude a story. It’s rushed, underwhelming, and borderline absurd. After all the buildup, we’re left with a “shocking twist” that you’ll see coming from a mile away, and even when it happens, you’ll probably just stare blankly at the screen, wondering what you just watched and why you spent any time on it.
In conclusion, The Debutantes is a film that tried so hard to be the next Scream or Final Destination, but ended up with none of the charm, wit, or suspense. It’s a supernatural slasher that doesn’t scare, doesn’t thrill, and certainly doesn’t entertain. If you’re in the mood for something that’s more scary in its incoherence than its content, then sure, go ahead and watch it. But for anyone else, it’s just another forgettable horror flick that wastes your time and patience.
So, here’s the takeaway: Don’t bother. Save yourself the trouble. Go outside. Watch paint dry. Do anything but watch this movie.
