Horror Film Review #8

Curse of Downers Grove

This hardly classifies as a definitive horror movie, its more of an intriguing mystery, wrapped in teen angst and surrounded by high school social shark waters.
The premise is recounted near the start as a narrated history lesson. For decades the final week leading to high school graduation has lead to a student dying, and its been well documented that the curse has dated back over 40 years.
Each death is different, random in cause and in location, the only constant is its only one student who dies, and its within the final week leading to graduation. Once a death occurs everyone else is free to graduate safely and unharmed
The single mother of the lead actors somehow forgets her children are graduating high school that week and goes on vacation with a potential suitor, leaving them to fend for themselves, and she appears oblivious that the curse which was spoken about in great lengths in her home town for decades; has still decided to pick up and leave her kids, not showing a trace of concern for their potential safety.
The Daughter attends a frat party and unleashes the Ire of disgruntled star quarterback, that sets in motion deadly encounters for her and her brother when the gang of footballers  begins to terrorize them.
The movie is passable,  The curse is interpreted to be native american in origin, when we see an angry native indigenous ghost warrior carrying around a shaman stick, evoking a glimmer of a vengeful curse.  The Ghost warrior is never explained why he is there or what exactly the curse is.

The foreboding circumstances all points to a deadly confrontation between the football jocks and the young brother and sister duo, and that someone will die. Which begs the question will this satisfy the curse of downers grove or will the worst be still to come.  Comparative 80's films would be Tuff Turf, Bullies, and  3:15 ( aka class of 89) though these films are not directly relatable, but the notion of an individual facing a clique or a gang in order to protect and save themselves and thus find the strength to battle back the oppressing odds have similar themes.