A crazed stalker is killing anyone who gets close to bedding high-school goddess Mandy Lane (a terrific Amber Heard) in director Jonathan Levine's smart, tightly wound shocker. Re-creating the choppiness and rough-edged grindhouse feel of classic exploitation cinema, Levine puts his canny chiller through retro filters for a post-modern charge. A whole raft of subliminal references to little-known teen terrors of old puts a playful spin on the visceral horror, making it feel fresh and exhilarating. The dialogue is sharp, the dismantling of high-school stereotypes more sophisticated than expected, and the golden oldie soundtrack is groovy. Certain elements will divide opinion - some will see them as unsettling, some as an annoying cheat. But at least it's another attempt to redefine the genre, and will distinguish this deconstruction of the slasher staple from the moribund rest.

Beautiful Mandy Lane isn't a party girl but, when classmate Chloe invites the Texas high school student to a bash in the countryside, she reluctantly accepts. After hitching a ride with a vaguely scary older man, the teens arrive at their destination. Partying ensues, and Mandy's close pal, Emmet, keeps a watchful eye on the young males making a play for Mandy. Then two of the students are murdered.