Isn’t It Shocking?

Daniel Barnes, the small-town New England police chief, begins an intimate relationship with motel owner Mrs. Tate. She eagerly wants him to move in with her and her children, while Barnes longs to keep their affair hidden from the town. The secrecy creates tension that shadows the early investigation to come.

Over a span of days, elderly townspeople die under mysterious circumstances. At first the deaths seem natural, but a pattern soon emerges. The victims all share a common link: they graduated from the Class of 1928.

Investigators notice that every victim is a 1928 high school graduate, linking the killings to a past cohort. This single thread concentrates the investigation on the Class of '28. The small size of the class makes every member a potential target.

Barnes teams up with Blanche to pore through the 1928 yearbook, cross-checking names against recent deaths. They identify the Yettas as potential targets and narrow the suspect pool. The yearbook becomes the key clue guiding the hunt.

Barnes drives to the Yettas' isolated house, hoping to confront the next target. A second car suddenly ram’s his cruiser, disabling it, and Barnes escapes into the surrounding woods. The dangerous pursuit marks the killer's willingness to act violently to stop him.

Circling back to the isolated house, Barnes discovers the Yettas have been killed already. The brutal discovery confirms the killer's reach and the stakes of the investigation. The scene escalates the urgency to identify the culprit.

With another murder adding to the tally, coroner Lemuel Lovell and his daughter Doc Lovell propose that the killer uses a modified defibrillator to trigger heart attacks. The unusual method gives the investigation a distinct scientific angle. Barnes begins mapping how such a device could be used to target the Class of '28.

Evidence points toward Justin Oates, the surviving member of the Class of 1928, who had recently stayed at Mrs. Tate's motel. Barnes believes the ties between Oates and the victims are the key to unlocking the case. The elimination process narrows the field to a man with a history of humiliation and exposure.

Barnes lures Oates into a setup designed to expose him as the killer. Oates takes the bait, triggering a confrontation that reveals his guilt. The trap showcases the detective work and the stakes at play.

Under pressure, Oates confesses his motive: a traumatic birthday party where he was publicly humiliated as his fiancée was found frolicking naked with another classmate. The memory fuels the serial killings as revenge for the social damage he endured. The revelation seals his culpability.

The arrest leads to legal and welfare considerations, with Barnes and the coroner suggesting Oates will likely be remanded to a mental health facility. The film frames the killer's punishment in terms of institutional care rather than theatrical justice. Barnes weighs the human cost of the crime as the case closes.

A lucrative job offer from a nearby town arrives, offering a pay raise that would help Barnes settle down with Mrs. Tate and her children. The prospect introduces a real-life dilemma that tests his commitment to the town. The tension between opportunity and loyalty becomes a recurring theme.

Barnes rejects the offer and chooses to remain in the town, strengthening his commitment to the community. He also contemplates marriage to Blanche, weighing a stable future over a fresh start elsewhere. The film ends on a note of personal and professional roots taking hold.