Final Examination

Shane Newman is transferred by his boss Hugh Janus to Hawaii after failing to capture a drug dealer in Los Angeles. The move takes him away from his previous case and places him on a high-profile assignment on the island. The transfer sets the stage for the murder investigation that follows among the sorority reunion.

Terri Walker and the other alumni are invited to a luxury hotel in Hawaii for an erotic photo shoot organized by Derek Simmons, editor of Cavalier Magazine. Newman starts his new assignment as tension simmers beneath the glamorous veneer. The setup hints at danger hidden behind the camera.

Shortly after the arrival, Terri Walker is strangled in the hotel’s pool area. The discovery triggers a police investigation and raises questions about who among the guests could be the killer. The poolside scene becomes the grim entry point of the case.

Beside Terri’s corpse investigators uncover a document resembling a final examination certificate with the imprint 'Failed'. The clue hints at an underlying motive rooted in the sorority’s past. The investigators press the students for more information as they dig for connections.

Detective William Culp urges Newman to keep a close eye on Derek Simmons, suggesting there is more to the editor than the public persona. The warning directs the investigation toward possible motives tied to the editor and the magazine. This advice sharpens the focus on the character at the center of the photo shoot.

During the following night, Amanda Calvin is lured outside to the pool by a phone call and becomes the killer’s next victim. The sequence of murders intensifies, signaling a predator at large. The investigators must unravel a dangerous pattern among the guests.

The police locate William Culp in Megan Davidson’s hotel room; the two had recently been involved, which raises questions about personal entanglements. Megan and Kristen Neal are subjected to scrutiny as investigators sort out alibis. The discovery adds complexity to the case among the survivors.

Investigators uncover that five years ago Rachel Kincaid committed suicide after being mobbed by a rival candidate, Kristen Neal. Kristen is present in Hawaii and connected to the current murders. The backstory provides a motive for revenge that ties past pain to present killings.

Newman contacts Rita in Los Angeles and learns that Cavalier editor James Derek Kincaid is Rachel’s brother. He has assembled the students in Hawaii to take revenge for his sister’s death. The revelation links the murders to a family vendetta rather than random violence.

On the fifth anniversary of Rachel’s suicide, Megan and Kristen confront each other in the hotel room. Kristen accuses Megan and pulls a pistol as the lights cut out. The tense moment heightens the sense that the killer remains among them and the confrontation intensifies.

In the climactic moment, Newman confirms that the killer operates under the alias Simmons, tied to editor Derek Kincaid. A key photo later ties the case to Tayler Cameron, Rachel and Derek’s sister, complicating the motive. The confrontation among Megan, Kristen and the killer reaches a fever pitch as Newman closes in.

Tayler Cameron lunges into the melee; Newman arrives and shoots her in self-defense as she barely survives, ending the immediate threat. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, Professor Andrews—who was Rachel’s study adviser and involved in a past crime—is arrested. Sam, another of Rachel’s brothers, reveals his identity and shoots the professor at the police station.