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Jay Baker, Pat Barlow, Lloyd Berry, Deborah Foreman, Deborah Goodrich ... see more see more... , Thomas Heaton , Mike Nomad , Ken Olandt , Griffin O'Neal , Leah King Pinsent , Clayton Rohner , Amy Steel , Thomas F. Wilson , Fern Champion , Pamela Basker

April Fool's Day just happens to be the birthday of rich college student Buffy (Deborah Foreman), so she invites a group of friends from Vassar over to her family's island getaway to spend the weekend... read more read more... partying. Though some practical-joke shenanigans on the ferry over from the mainland lead to unexpected bloodshed and put a damper on the festivities, Buffy unleashes a flood of more benign pranks on her guests, setting a tone of giddy abandon. With plenty of randy guys and gals on hand and no parental supervision, it isn't long before drunken escapades ensue. As the weekend progresses, however, guests begin to disappear mysteriously, and before long Buffy and friends find themselves huddling in terror in their remote getaway. The next ferry isn't due until Monday, and the partygoers aren't sure whether any of them will make it that long. The mostly Canadian cast of April Fool's Day includes Leah King Pinsent, daughter of actor/director Gordon Pinsent, and Amy Steel, a veteran of the second and fourth Friday the 13th installments. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Flixster Users

47% liked it

12,904 ratings

Critics

36% liked it

14 critics

R, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Fred Walton

Release Date: March 27, 1986

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DVD Release Date: September 3, 2002

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Stats: 613 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (613)

  • TheDudeLebowski65
    September 14, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    April Fool's Day is a fairly decent Slasher film. The concept of the film is of course set around the day itself. I liked the idea of this film, but like with every other Slasher film, April Fool's Day copies the trend of many films that came before it. April Fool's is a fairly i... read morenteresting idea that unfortunately due to its predictability doesn't really stand out among other slasher. In fact, I'd say that this is one of the weaker slasher films. The film could have been a good Slasher, but it doesn't really do anything with the ideas presented on screen. April Fool's Day is a fairly forgettable Slasher film, and it may actually frustrate die hard fans of the genre. I know when I watched this, I certainly was. The ending really disappointed me, and it really was a shame because everything about this film was good, right up until the end. April Fool's Day is a so-so horror film that once you know what really is going, has nothing really that good to offer. April Fool's Day is for me, anyway, a missed opportunity to really deliver something great. Even though the film manages to be different, it's nothing special. Die hard fans of the Slasher genre may be disappointed with this one, so keep your expectations low. There are a few good moments to be had with this film, but as a whole, it's never anything spectacular.
  • ajv2688
    January 21, 2011
    ajv2688
    This movie is so bad, it's awesome! I loved this silly horror movie taking place around April Fool's Day! It has some great horror scenes, the actors are cheesy, and the story has a lot of twists.
  • kenstachnik
    December 14, 2010
    kenstachnik
    Basically an 80's remake of And Then There Where None (aka 10 Little Indians), with a lot of April Fool's pranks thrown in. It's nothing groundbreaking, but what it does it does fairly well.
  • Deano78
    August 21, 2010
    Deano78
    A cool 80's slasher that inspired many more recent hits.
  • FilmFanatik
    December 20, 2009
    FilmFanatik
    Jaw-droppingly original.
  • 76Majikat
    November 13, 2009
    76Majikat
    A very standard 80?s Horror, very typical and predictable without any tense moments and very little in the way of fascinating storyline, despite that it was at least watchable.
  • sononothing
    March 11, 2009
    sononothing
    April Fool's Day is yet another film that turns a holiday into a slaughter for teenagers. The story is about a group of privileged college students that spend the weekend on a secluded island at their wealthy friend Muffy's (Deborah Foreman) home. After goofing off on the ferry ... read morecauses a serious accident to an employee of the barge, students begin to disappear one by one as the rest of the group begin to realize that there's more amiss than meets the eye.

    The beginning of the film feels like your standard B horror film, seeming to borrow from a little killer in the woods film called The Final Terror from five years earlier. With April Fool's Day you get more than the standard fare. The film just seems more polished with higher production values than most horror films of the era. It's predictable, yet tries to keep itself unpredictable enough that you question yourself as you go through the film. April Fool's Day is an acceptable film on many levels and will leave you more entertained than the typical slash and burn films.
  • matertenebraum
    April 6, 2008
    matertenebraum
    One of my favourite movies of all time. Saw it again last night for the umpteenth time last night (but on DVD for the first time)and it's still wonderful. Funny, scary and seriously smart - the "twist" is great and works well even on multiple viewings - there's no cheating here, ... read moreit works well even when you know it and can see it coming. I love it to bits, and it's tremendous fun. Criminally underrated. The cast is terrific, especially Deborah Foreman, and it's the first thing other than the Back to the Future movies that I've seen Thomas F Wilson in! And he's funny and likable in it too. Gorehounds needn't bother, but if you like a good story and a good mystery you'll have a ball. It's quite possibly the only slasher movie that will appeal to people who hate slasher movies! I adore it.
  • djdemersseman
    January 14, 2008
    djdemersseman
    I watched this as part of holiday-themed slasher kick I was on for a time. Silent Night, Deadly Night really got my hopes up, only to be dashed a bit by My Bloody Valentine which I, incidentally, fast forwarded through about a third of.

    I'm not sure how you could call this movie... read more a slasher flick, but whatever it is, it isn't bad. Good acting, great plot. All it really lacked was real suspense (there again, I'm not sure why it was called a slasher in the first place) and a decent music score (but when was the last horror movie you saw with decent music?).

    I was pleasantly surprised.
  • drblood
    July 8, 2007
    drblood
    This is one of those thriller type films that should have been more horrible than it is... but it has its moments. The girls in this are very pretty and the practical jokes are wonderfully sick.

View All April Fool's Day Reviews

Critic Reviews

Tim Brayton
April 1, 2012
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

One of the savviest examples of slasher film self-commentary in existence, beating Scream by a cool ten years and a half. Full Review

Dustin Putman
October 9, 2008
Dustin Putman, DustinPutman.com

Even today, it holds up as a spooky, flirty entertainment, doing justice to the folly and mirth of its namesake holiday. Full Review

Stefan Birgir Stefansson
July 8, 2005
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is

Stupid

Nick Schager
May 3, 2005
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

I've seen this film before...as an episode of The Golden Girls. Full Review

Andreas Samuelson
January 26, 2004
Andreas Samuelson, Slasherpool

Compared to other similar 80s teen-flicks, this is a very fun and likable little film. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
October 18, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

There are much better 80's horror flicks to spend your money on, but April Fool's Day has enough jolts and twists to warrant a look. Full Review

Christopher Null
August 26, 2002
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

Classic horror cheese Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Frank Swietek
June 11, 2008
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion

No review available.

Chuck O'Leary
October 21, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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April Fool's Day Trivia

  • What was the twist to the movie April Fool's Day??  Answer »
  • In the movie April Fool's Day, Muffy has a (real) twin named?  Answer »
  • What happened to Milan in April Fools Day ?  Answer »
  • Who is the gossip columnist in April Fools Day ?  Answer »
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