Final Exam

Final Exam

Year: 1981

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: English

Director: Jimmy Huston

HorrorHorror

A tense slasher set on a quiet North Carolina college campus where only a handful of students remain to sit their midterms. As the exams loom, a mysterious killer begins stalking them, turning the academic test into a deadly final exam. Survival becomes the ultimate grade.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Final Exam (1981) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Final Exam (1981), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

During a quiet night at March College, a young couple are making out in a parked car when an unseen assailant slices the vehicle’s roof open and murders them both. The grim start sets a chilling tone that threads through the rest of the campus as events unfold.

Nearby, Lanier College is gearing up for finals. To give a group of students more time to study for their chemistry exam, a fraternity stages a fake shooting on campus. The ruse works, leaving only a small group of students on site to finish their work before the real exam day. In the midst of this distraction, the Killer from the earlier tragedy arrives on campus in a van, quietly beginning to stalk the remaining students.

Courtney is bookish and focused, poring over notes as she navigates the pressure of finals. Her roommate, Lisa, plans to return home to New York City and, off the page, sustains an affair with their professor, Dr. Reynolds. On the night’s tension-filled margins, Gary, a pledge for Gamma Delta, endures a cruel prank that leaves him bound to a tree for the night. The killer unties him, then climbs down from the height and ends his life with a swift knife strike. The atmosphere grows increasingly menacing as fear spreads among the students.

Gary’s girlfriend, Janet, arrives on the scene and notices a silhouette on a distant rooftop. She follows it, convinced it’s Gary, only to discover the terrifying truth. When she realizes she’s pursued a threat, she attempts to run, but the killer closes in and kills her, leaving a chilling silence in the night air.

Another member of Gamma Delta, Wildman, is lured into a darkened gym while trying to steal prescription drugs from the football coach’s office. The murderer materializes, overpowers him, and drags him to a weight-lifting area where he is garrotted. The campus darkens with fear as Mark stumbles upon Wildman’s lifeless body and is chased into the electrical building. The killer surprises him from a hidden barrel and stabs him, ending his pursuit.

Nerdy Radish discovers the carnage spreading through the campus and summons help, but the authorities dismiss him as a member of the prank culture surrounding their finals. He races to warn Courtney, only to be struck down by the same killer who has already infiltrated her dorm room. The shock of violence fractures the building’s already fragile sense of safety.

Back at the dorm, Radish’s body is found pinned to Courtney’s door, a stark reminder of the danger that now sits inside every quiet room. Lisa heads to the conservatory to meet Dr. Reynolds but meets the killer there first, who stabs her to death. Courtney arrives moments later and witnesses the horrifying scene.

The chase escalates as the killer pursues Courtney through the shadowed corridors. She arms herself with a kitchen knife and escapes to the campus clock tower, seeking safety above the dorms. A campus coach, Coach, appears and fires an arrow at the murderer; the killer catches the arrow and embeds it into his chest. The struck villain’s footing slips on damaged flooring, and he is knocked down as Courtney hurls a wooden plank at him, knocking him off balance and down to the first floor.

From the edge of the stairwell, the killer lurches toward Courtney, grabbing at her ankle as she cautiously steps past. She retaliates with a flurry of blows, stabbing him twelve times to end the brutal rampage once and for all. The campus settles into an uneasy quiet, the night’s terror finally quieted but never forgotten, as the survivors confront what happened and try to move forward.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:58

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Isolated survival horror movies like Final Exam

Characters trapped in a confined space, hunted by a relentless threat.If you liked the tense, claustrophobic feel of Final Exam, this thread features similar movies where characters are trapped and hunted. Discover more horror films with a focus on survival in isolated settings, featuring relentless killers and a desperate fight to stay alive.

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The final girl survives, but the victory is haunted by trauma and loss.For viewers who appreciate the specific emotional conclusion of Final Exam, this thread collects similar horror films where survival comes at a great price. Find movies like Final Exam that feature a final girl who wins, but whose triumph is undercut by a heavy sense of loss and trauma.

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The narrative journey culminates in the defeat of the antagonist, but the resolution emphasizes the psychological and physical toll on the survivor. Instead of pure celebration, the ending lingers on the emptiness and devastation left behind, making survival feel like a Pyrrhic victory.

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These movies are grouped by their shared emotional arc: a heavy, traumatic experience leading to a victory that is profoundly bittersweet. They share a dark tone and explore the theme that surviving horror can be as damaging as succumbing to it.

Unlock the Full Story of Final Exam

Don't stop at just watching — explore Final Exam in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Final Exam is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Final Exam Timeline

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Final Exam Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Final Exam

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Final Exam

Final Exam Spoiler-Free Summary

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Final Exam Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Final Exam

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