As the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, the fraternity scene at Northern Illinois University buzzed with excitement during their annual celebration. In the midst of the festivities, Alana Maxwell reluctantly participated in a prank crafted by her friends. She lured the innocent and socially awkward pledge Kenny Hampson into a bedroom under false pretenses of romantic intimacy. However, what awaited Kenny was far from romantic—he stumbled upon a horrifying sight: a corpse, which his fraternity brothers had stolen from the medical school. This traumatic revelation shattered his psyche, resulting in Kenny being admitted to a psychiatric institution.
Fast forward three years, and the same group of friends decided to reunite for another New Year's Eve bash, this time on a train. Among the attendees were Alana, class clown Ed (whose mischievous spirit remained undiminished), prankster Doc, Jackson, Mitchy (Alana's confidant), and her boyfriend Mo. The affair was further spiced up by the presence of a magician and his alluring assistant, who were hired to dazzle the students with their enchanting tricks.
Unbeknownst to them, fate had other plans. Ed had met a tragic end before boarding the train, allowing a murderer to use his Groucho Marx mask to sneak aboard. As the locomotive ventured into the dark wilderness, danger lurked in the shadows. The killer, disguised as Ed, swiftly claimed the lives of both Jackson—found in the sleeper bathroom—and Mitchy, who met her fate in a secluded compartment. The conductor, Carne, was oblivious to the grim tableau, discovering Jackson's lifeless body still dressed in a lizard costume.
As chaos ensued aboard the train, Doc stumbled upon Mo's corpse during a magic show, while Carne discovered two crew members dead. The only option left was to confine the remaining students to one car, with the assistance of the pullman porters, who had also found another lifeless body. Just as hope seemed lost, Carne hit the emergency brake, causing a violent stop. As they halted, the porters began to evacuate the students, many assuming it was merely one of Doc's wild pranks gone awry.
Alana's suspicions grew stronger upon learning that Kenny, now released from the psychiatric facility, could be behind these gruesome happenings. Her unease escalated when Doc fell victim to a horrific fate in the sleeper car. Amid the chaos, Alana connected the dots, speculating that the mysterious magician might actually be the disturbed Kenny in disguise.
In a heart-pounding chase through the train's narrow corridors, Alana made a grotesque discovery: the magician's lifeless body lay sprawled across his sword box. Her shock quickly morphed into sheer panic as she rushed to inform Carne and Charlie, only to be confronted by Kenny, who had transformed himself into the magician's female assistant, the truth unveiled by a cleverly disguised blonde wig.
With an apologetic demeanor, Alana tried to reconcile with Kenny, acknowledging the past prank that had clearly left him scarred. However, her efforts were met with Kenny's malevolent rage, as he demanded she mirror the kiss that had triggered his traumatic memories three years prior. This forced intimacy plunged Kenny back into an abyss of mental anguish.
In a desperate move to take down the threat, Carne brandished a shovel with lethal intent, delivering a blow that sent Kenny careening out of the train and into the icy depths below. As the train thundered away, leaving Kenny's body behind, Alana and her friends were left grappling with the horrifying consequences of their past actions, haunted by the chilling realization that their once joyful celebration had transformed into a nightmare.
