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Plot Summary

New Year's Evil (1980) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1980 · 85 min · English
JustWatch #5,157 25
Directed by
Emmett Alston
Starring
Roz Kelly, Kip Niven, Grant Cramer, Louisa Moritz, Taaffe O'Connell, Anita Crane

As midnight approaches across the nation, a psychotic killer begins targeting New Year's Eve celebrations in each time zone. A radio DJ, Roz Kelly, receives disturbing phone calls from the perpetrator, who seems to be reveling in the rising death toll. With every chilling call, Roz must confront not only the escalating danger but also a terrifying connection to the unfolding events, as her own life hangs in the balance.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like New Year's Evil
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch New Year's Evil (1980)

Where can you watch New Year's Evil? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on fuboTV, MGM Plus and Philo: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in New Year's Evil: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of New Year's Evil (1980) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

As the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, DJ Diane Sullivan, popularly known as "Blaze," was electrifying a Hollywood hotel with her countdown celebration, captivating the nation's audience through a simulcast on local radio. Just as the excitement peaked, a chilling phone call from an individual claiming to be Evil intruded, shaking her composure. With an eerie voice and malicious intent, he revealed his plan to eliminate one "naughty girl" in each U.S. time zone, culminating with Diane herself as the final victim at midnight Pacific Time.

While Diane's son, Derek, made an appearance in the studio, his presence went largely unnoticed as his mother focused on her broadcast. Unbeknownst to everyone, Derek would soon become a key player in the unfolding chaos of the night.

As the festivities continued, the studio team intensified security measures to ensure a safe celebration. Unfortunately, their precautions were futile as a series of brutal murders erupted across Los Angeles, leaving a shocking path of destruction. The first victim, a nurse, was discovered dead at a sanitarium right after midnight in the Eastern Time Zone, followed closely by two women found lifeless near a liquor store in the Central Time Zone. The killer, with a disturbing penchant for documenting his crimes using a radio/cassette recorder, would call in to taunt Diane with each new murder, heightening the tension and fear gripping the night.

As the clock inched closer to midnight in the Mountain Time Zone, the killer’s desperate hunt for his next victim escalated. Oblivious to the wrath he would soon attract from a gang of bikers, he led them on a frantic chase through a drive-in theater. After brutally dispatching one of the bikers and commandeering a couple’s vehicle, his sights were set on a new target. However, an unsuspecting girl miraculously managed to escape from the backseat, leaving the killer scrambling for his next prey.

While law enforcement closed in on the hotel, Richard, disguised as his past persona, stealthily infiltrated the premises. This cunning mastermind turned out to be Diane's husband, harboring deep resentment toward her and other women in his life whom he felt had wronged him. With a malevolent glint in his eye, Richard executed a twisted revenge against Diane, rendering her unconscious before launching into a furious tirade of scorn.

Reveling in his cruel machinations, Richard’s true intentions were laid bare as he hacked the elevator system with plans to chain Diane to the machinery, subjecting her to a horrifying descent. However, the police quickly caught up to him, their presence alerted by a mysterious source. A tense standoff ensued, punctuated by gunfire that ultimately damaged the controls of the elevator, halting its descent and sparing Diane from a horrific fate.

With his plans thwarted, Richard retreated to the rooftop, donning the mask that had previously allowed him to navigate the hotel invisibly. Cornered by the police, he faced the inevitable consequences of his actions, ultimately opting for a bleak plunge into oblivion as his only escape route.

As the authorities attended to Diane's injuries, Derek, unbeknownst to many, was piloting the very ambulance dispatched to rescue her. Having seized his father's mask and violently murdered the true driver, this once-innocent bystander now found himself enmeshed in a dark scheme as the ambulance disappeared into the night, leaving Diane’s fate hauntingly uncertain.

Amidst the turmoil, a radio announcer in Honolulu can be heard announcing the arrival of midnight in the Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone, an event that, though seemingly benign, serves to deepen the ominous ambiance enveloping the hotel.

Last updated: November 19, 2024 at 11:44

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Plot questions answered

New Year's Evil Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about New Year's Evil (1980): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Richard target his wife Diane?

Richard is Diane's husband who harbors deep resentment toward her and other women he feels have wronged him. Disguised as 'Evil,' he orchestrates the killing spree as twisted revenge against his wife, planning to make her the final victim at midnight Pacific Time.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Richard's presence goes unnoticed as he stealthily infiltrates the hotel while everyone focuses on the broadcast.

  • richard
  • husband
  • revenge
  • diane
  • marriage
Q2

Who is making the threatening phone calls?

The mysterious 'Evil' caller is actually Richard, Diane's husband, disguised with an altered voice. He calls after each murder to taunt Diane, creating the illusion of a random serial killer while orchestrating the entire operation from within the hotel.

  • evil
  • caller
  • phone calls
  • richard
  • disguise
Q3

How does Derek become involved in the violence?

Derek, Diane's son, seizes his father's mask and violently murders the ambulance driver dispatched to rescue Diane. He then commandeers the ambulance and escapes with his unconscious mother, transforming from an innocent bystander into an unexpected killer.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes that Derek would soon play a crucial role in the unfolding chaos, though his appearance in the studio went largely unnoticed.

  • derek
  • son
  • killer
  • ambulance
  • mask
Q4

How does the killer plan the murders across time zones?

The killer operates on a schedule synchronized with U.S. time zones, killing one 'naughty girl' in each zone as midnight passes: a nurse in the Eastern Zone, two women in the Central Zone, with the final killing targeting Diane at midnight Pacific Time.

  • time zones
  • murders
  • midnight
  • killing schedule
Q5

What happens in the elevator scene with Diane?

Richard chains Diane to the elevator machinery and activates it to send her plummeting to her death. However, gunfire during the police confrontation damages the elevator controls, halting the descent and saving her life.

Foreshadowing: Richard hacks into the elevator system earlier, revealing his intention to chain Diane to the machinery.

  • elevator
  • trap
  • richard
  • police
  • shooting
Q6

What happens to Richard at the end?

Cornered by police on the rooftop, Richard dons his mask for concealment and leaps from the building in a desperate attempt to escape, choosing death over capture.

  • richard
  • rooftop
  • escape
  • death
  • mask
Q7

How do police find Richard at the hotel?

A mysterious source alerts the police to Richard's presence at the hotel, allowing them to close in on him just as he executes his elevator trap against Diane.

  • police
  • alert
  • hotel
  • richard
  • source
Q8

Does Diane survive at the end?

Diane survives the night but remains unconscious while her son Derek, now a murderer, escapes with her in the ambulance. Her ultimate fate and the cycle of violence remain unsettlingly unresolved.

  • diane
  • survival
  • ending
  • ambulance
  • derek
Q9

What happens during the Mountain Time Zone killings?

During the Mountain Time Zone, the killer rampages through a drive-in theater, leading bikers on a chase. He kills one biker and steals a couple's car, but fails to capture a girl who escapes from the backseat.

  • bikers
  • chase
  • drive-in
  • theater
  • mountain time zone
Q10

Why does the killer record his crimes?

The killer documents each murder using a radio/cassette recorder, then calls Diane to play back the recordings after each killing, using the broadcast to amplify his psychological torment of her.

  • cassette
  • recording
  • murders
  • phone calls
  • taunt

Movie threads

More Movies Like New Year's Evil, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes New Year's Evil tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Relentless Holiday Horror Movies like New Year's Evil

Festive celebrations are shattered by a race-against-time threat. If you liked the high-tension, festive terror of New Year's Evil, explore more movies where a holiday becomes a ticking clock for survival. This thread features similar thrillers and horror films that exploit celebratory settings for maximum suspense and anxiety.

  • suspenseful
  • anxious
  • oppressive
  • relentless
  • festive terror
  • race against time
  • Tone: tense, bleak
  • Pacing: fast, urgent
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically unfold during a major holiday, with the antagonist using the event's timeline—like midnight on New Year's or Christmas Eve—as a catalyst for their actions. The plot is driven by a relentless pace as protagonists must thwart the threat before the symbolic deadline, intertwining festive iconography with fear.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared use of a holiday setting to amplify tension and dread. They feature a fast pace, high intensity, and a bleak tone, often involving a cat-and-mouse game where the public nature of the celebration adds to the oppressive atmosphere.

Media Terror Thrillers with Psychological Torment like New Year's Evil

Where broadcasters become the target of a manipulative killer's game. Fans of New Year's Evil will find similar chilling tales in this thread, featuring movies where a killer uses phone calls or broadcasts to torment a media personality. Discover thrillers that explore the psychological horror of being a public target.

  • suspenseful
  • paranoid
  • harrowing
  • psychological
  • cat and mouse
  • taunting killer
  • Tone: tense, paranoid
  • Pacing: fast, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a public figure who receives threatening communications from an unseen antagonist, blurring the line between their professional and personal life. The story escalates through a series of taunts and threats, forcing the protagonist into a high-stakes psychological battle with their tormentor, often revealing a personal connection.

Why they belong together: These films are linked by their core premise of media-centric terror, creating a specific breed of suspense. They share a heavy emotional weight, a tense tone, and often explore themes of obsession and public vulnerability, making the fear feel intensely personal and claustrophobic.

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Movies Like New Year's Evil

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Every angle

New Year's Evil (1980) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about New Year's Evil in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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