This unusual revenge/horror film from the mid-1980s manages to be unpredictable. The story centers on four high school students in the Northeast who pull a prank on their biology teacher at her house one weekend, but what starts as fun quickly spirals into deadly danger. “Hell High,” filmed in 1985 and copyrighted in 1986, wasn’t actually released until 1989. It was also marketed under the names “Raging Fury” and “Real Trouble,” which seem to be more fitting titles. I initially thought it would be a straightforward slasher film, but it's really a high school thriller blending elements of films like "Carrie" (1976) and "Christine" (1983) with the exploitation style of “I Spit on Your Grave” (1978). Considering its budget was only $188,000, it looks surprisingly polished compared to “I Spit,” which cost $650,000. The movie does a good job of recreating the atmosphere and social dynamics of high school, showing the different groups and personalities—the rebellious leader of the outsiders, the attractive girl who spends time with them, the comic relief character, the star quarterback and his cheerleader girlfriend, and the guy who doesn’t quite fit in anywhere (Christopher Cousins). Christopher Stryker, who plays the troublemaker, tragically died from AIDS at age 27 before the film was released. The tone is mostly serious, although there are moments of unintentional humor, like with the football coach. What stands out most is that you genuinely can’t guess what's going to happen next. It isn’t your typical 1980s slasher movie. The female characters include Millie Prezioso as Queenie, Maureen Mooney as the biology teacher, and Kathryn Rossetter as the girls’ coach. Victoria Andahazy, who plays the quarterback’s girlfriend, is also noteworthy. As is common in this type of film, there are a few brief scenes with nudity. The running time is 1 hour and 24 minutes. Filming took place in Westchester and The Bronx, just a short distance from The Bronx Zoo, with the school interiors shot in Scarsdale, New York, about eight miles north of The Bronx. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB