Cherry Falls

In the woods outside Cherry Falls, a teenage couple is murdered when a black-haired woman ambushes them in a car. The killer slashes them and leaves the word virgin carved into their bodies. The killing sets a climate of fear that will ripple through the town.

Brent and his deputies launch the investigation, cataloging the evidence and noting the recurring carving of the word virgin on each victim. The pattern suggests a killer focusing on sexual purity and young victims. The town coheres around the case as rumors spread.

Annette Duwald, another virgin, is murdered in the same manner while home alone. The killer leaves the same mark, reinforcing the serial-murder pattern and escalating the town's fear. The string of killings tightens the investigation.

Brent holds a meeting at the high school to inform parents about the crimes and to urge caution. He remarks that secrets may be involved, hinting at complicity and hypocrisy in town leadership. The meeting heightens tensions rather than calming them.

Timmy borrows Jody's phone to call, and is found dead in a locker area. Jody is confronted by the killer during the encounter but manages to escape, setting her on edge and making her a potential target. The sequence deepens the mystery surrounding the killer's reach within the school.

At the police station, Brent discusses the suspect with Tom Sisler and notes the killer's resemblance to Lora Lee Sherman. The conversation hints at long-buried history and potential family connections fueling the crimes. Tension grows as investigators search for a motive.

Jody and Kenny reconcile at school, while her mother explains the legend of Lora Lee Sherman, a high school loner whose troubled past fuels the mystery. The backstory adds a chilling layer to the town's fear and potential motive. The personal and historic ties start to blur moral lines in the investigation.

A flashback reveals that Lora Lee was a loner who claimed she was raped by four popular boys, including Brent and the principal. After the assault, she vanished and was rarely seen again, becoming the focal point of the killer's motive. The revelation implicates powerful locals and fuels the town's paranoia.

The town's students converge at an abandoned hunting lodge under the guise of a mass orgy. The event demonstrates reckless search for liberation amid fear, and it sets the stage for more violent confrontations. The killer's targeting of virgins becomes a central thread as the night unfolds.

Brent arrives at the school to find the principal dead in the office with the words virgin not carved on his forehead. The killer knocks Brent out before he can react, accelerating the danger for the remaining townspeople. This cruel display heightens the urgency of the investigation.

Jody spots Mr. Marliston moving a heavy trunk into his basement and helps him haul it inside. Inside she finds her father, Brent, beaten and bloody inside the trunk, and is knocked unconscious by Marliston. The personal stakes escalate as Jody learns the killer may be connected to those she knows.

Kenny leaves the orgy to search for Jody, while Marliston pursues them, killing a deputy as he storms toward the lodge. The chase heightens the danger as the killer closes in on the couple. The town's safety hangs in the balance as the pursuit moves toward a final confrontation.

In a basement confrontation, Marliston explains his motive and hints that Brent may be his father. He reveals his plan to target virgins to punish the town's wealthy parents. Brent fights Marliston and is killed in the struggle, marking a brutal turn in the investigation.

Jody and Kenny reach the orgy where Marliston rampages through the crowd. After a brutal fight, Jody pushes him off a balcony and he is impaled on fence posts. Deputy Mina later finishes him with gunfire, bringing the immediate threat to an end.

The next day, Jody and her mother leave Cherry Falls, still haunted by what happened. A shot of the red-tinted waterfall as they drive away underscores the town's lingering trauma and uncertain future. The film closes on a note of unresolved danger and moving on.