Plot

Six people are trapped within the confines of their old high school during their 10th high school reunion with a psychotic, masked preacher who kills them off for their sinful lives they have made for themselves.

Six former classmates receive invitations one day to a high school reunion. When they arrive at their alma mater, however, they find that not only are they the only ones to have receved letters, the invitations were actually sent by a deranged preacher intending to murder them all as punishment for their wicked ways. Will any of them escape from the remote schoolhouse alive, or will they all meet their final judgement?—Jean-Marc Rocher <rocher@fiberbit.net>

A strange boy, named Christopher, rises from the depths of a small lake and visits a sleeping priest, casting a spell over the man. Later that day at church, Christopher arrives at the church in a school shuttle bus where he and a group of other boys change into robes as part of the church's boys choir. One boy tells unfunny and sordid jokes and threatens Christopher with a knife when he does not laugh. Afterwords, Christopher sits with the boys choir as the priest delivers a sermon about sinners and the wrath of God.

At an abandoned high school, a janitor lets in a stranger who claims to be an insurance inspector, but who shoots the janitor dead in the swimming pool area, drags the body into a classroom, and prepares a plaster cast of the man's head. Later, the stranger pulls out a yearbook for the Class of 1967 and opens it to the "Most Likely To Succeed" page that features six students, three boys and three girls, and cuts out each photograph.

Among those pictured in the yearbook is John Sinclair, a dodgy lawyer who only represents wealthy clients, even if they are criminals; Terry Day, a gluttonous traveling businessman who cheats on his wife with a drive-in waitress; Jane, a wealthy trophy wife in a loveless marriage who "skeet shoots" live pigeons; Roger, a vain and ornery actor who causes endless difficulties on the set; Kirsten, a closeted lesbian who is ashamed of her life who tells her live-in lover, Petra, that she cannot go with her to her high school reunion; and Cindy Pilson, a promiscuous woman, twice married and divorced who engages in partying at local bars.

Some days later, the six arrive at their former high school, now-shuttered Stuart Morse Academy, for their ten-year reunion. Roger notes that the school doors are locked, and assumes they must be early. They knock, and the stranger, posing as the janitor, lets them in. The group enters the cafeteria where a feast awaits. They enjoy the food, although Cindy wonders why no other classmates have yet arrived. John offers to call a former classmate who still lives in the area and Jane joins his search for a payphone.

Back in the cafeteria, Cindy remembers that another classmate lives within walking distance and leaves to find her. As John and Jane realize the phone lines are dead, Cindy notices all of the exits are locked. She searches for the janitor, but finds a dead, maggot-covered body. As the group gathers around the janitor's body, they realize he has been dead for several days and that the man who greeted them earlier was not the janitor. As they separate and check the windows and doors, George notes that all of the windows have bars.

In another part of the school, Kristen yells through one of the locked gates when she spots a stranger in the distance. Realizing it is a masked man swinging a scythe, she runs away screaming. John and Terry notice music coming from the public address system. As they enter the audio/visual room, they notice a man sitting in a chair with his back turned to them. When they swing the chair around, they see a dummy holding a live blowtorch, which sets Terry on fire and burns him alive.

Later, the five remaining alums wonder if they are victims of a revenge plot but they are unable to think of a reason. John notes that the school is isolated and that no one is around to see or hear them, so Kirsten suggests they start a fire to draw the attention of the fire and police department. As they separate to gather material to burn, Jane returns to the cafeteria for tablecloths and hears a door opening. She runs outside for help and comes across a hunter carrying a shotgun. She pleads with him to take her to the nearest phone, but as they walk, Jane realizes the "hunter" is the stranger and he has led her back to the school where he chases her down before shooting her. Later, the four survivors find Jane's dead body laid out on the cafeteria table.

Back in the stairwell, they plan what to do next but follow sounds coming from the auditorium, where a strange show is in progress. The stranger, dressed in a black cape and a mask, recites a Shakespearean speech as a sword-bearing puppet dances. Entranced, Roger moves toward the stage as a dagger falls from the ceiling, impaling him in the head. Terrified, John runs away leaving Kirsten and Cindy alone. He runs into the empty library and finds their old yearbook with their pictures cut out.

Meanwhile, Kirsten and Cindy go to the bathroom, but when Kirsten steps outside, the stranger, now dressed as a clown, locks the door behind him, trapping Cindy and taunting her before drowning her in the bathroom sink.

Later, the stranger, now disguised in a business suit and mustache, confronts John in the library. As the stranger holds him at gunpoint, John demands to know why he wants them dead and the stranger proclaims that they are sinners and he is their redeemer. John lunges and they struggle over the gun, but John manages to shoot the stranger in his right hip while they both have their hands on the weapon. Refusing to let go, the stranger turns the gun on John and shoots him in the head.

Hearing the commotion, Kirsten runs toward the library and comes face to face with the stranger, then runs, screaming as he chases her back to the auditorium. Bleeding and stumbling from his injury, the stranger drops the gun. As she scrambles and picks up the gun, the puppet swings its sword at her head, killing her.

Back at church, the film comes full circle as the priest finishes his fiery sermon. After the service ends, the priest (who is finally revealed to be the killer) meets with Christopher, who has revealed to have killed a bully who earlier threatened him and placed the dead body in the car of a con artist Bible salesman who visited the church (so that the con artist will get blamed for the young bully's murder). Christopher tells the Redeemer that everything will be all right now, and that he is pleased with the Redeemer's work. The Redeemer then goes back to his apartment where he tends to his bullet wound to his abdomen that he received earlier, and also reveals that he has two thumbs on his left hand, one of which then fades away along with his gunshot wound. The Redeemer quotes to himself that God is pleased with what he has done and he will be waiting for any future work. In the final scene, Christopher takes the church shuttle bus back to the lake from the opening scene and walks (fully clothed) back into the lake to return from where he came.

The film closes with the text: "From out of the darkness the hand of the Redeemer shall appear to punish those who have lived in sin... and return to the watery depths of Hell".