We revisit The Curve… a Matthew Lillard horror movie you might’ve missed…
Scream is rightly regarded as a classic these days, but that was not the case following its release in 1996. Much like Saw a decade later, the derision toward Scream had little to do with the original film; it largely stemmed from the seemingly endless barrage of inferior imitators that followed in its wake. Although undeniably derivative, these late ’90s and early ’00s teen slashers often play better today than they did upon release.
Like many, the new Scream has made me nostalgic for the days of genre movies with high budgets, big name ensembles, and glossy aesthetics. After exhausting Scream’s most obvious descendants – I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, Final Destination, The Faculty, Valentine, etc. – I began diving into lesser discussed titles from the era, like Cherry Falls, Cut, Campfire Tales, and the one I’m here to talk to you about today: the twisted and twisty The Curve (also known as Dead Man’s Curve).
There must have been something in the air in 1998. Armageddon/Deep Impact, A Bug’s Life/Antz, The Truman Show/Ed TV, and The Curve/Dead Man on Campus are all pairs of “twin films” – movies with similar plots produced at the same time – that came out that year. In the latter’s case, they both revolve around the “pass by catastrophe” urban legend that a student will receive complimentary straight A’s if their roommate commits suicide.
While Dead Man on Campus takes a dark yet quirky comedic approach to the material, with two friends seeking a depressed roommate to push over the edge, The Curve uses the notion as a conduit for a teen thriller involving a murder plot and coverup. Jet-black humor is inherent to the outrageous concept – as exemplified by the school’s therapist (Dana Delany, Tombstone) citing listening to The Cure and watching “anything by a first time writer-director” as suicidal warning signs – but more often it aims for anarchic.
There’s no slashing per se, but Scream almost certainly helped get The Curve green lit, down to casting an unhinged Matthew Lillard in the lead role. In fact, it almost plays as if his character of Stu Macher survived the events of Scream and went off to college under a new identity but with the same sociopathic tendencies. Hints of the pop culture referential dialogue popularized by Scream even creep in, including a nod to Species.
A lesser effort might yield an expository first act in which one friend convinces the other to commit murder, but The Curve‘s plot is already in motion from the opening frame. Audio from an unseen (and uncredited) stand-up comic tells viewers everything they need to know as the opening credits roll: “Have you guys heard about this weird policy they have now at most universities?… If your roommate commits suicide, you get an automatic 4.0 for the semester… This kind of takes the heat off finals, don’t you think? This is like giving you a license to kill!”
Indeed, college seniors Tim (Lillard) and Chris (Michael Vartan, Alias) have agreed to kill their obnoxious roommate, Rand (Randall Batinkoff, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and make it look like suicide so they can fulfill their aspirations to attend Harvard medical school. Tim is the dominant manipulator behind the operation, with Chris conflicted but desperate after a B+ brings down his GPA. As the authorities get involved, suspicion festers, backstabbing ensues, and more death follows.
Running an efficient 91 minutes, the movie hits the ground running and rarely lets up until the climax, in which the viewer is bombarded with a series of increasingly outlandish plot twists that would give M. Night Shyamalan pause. Every character is toxic, but Lillard steals the show by leaning into its absurdity with his chaotic magnetism. Vartan, by contrast, takes a more grounded approach befitting his character. Keri Russell, in the same year Felicity premiered, has an integral role as Chris’ girlfriend who becomes embroiled in the scheme.
Shot on location in Baltimore on an estimated $1 million budget, the film marked the directorial debut of writer-director Dan Rosen after gaining clout for penning 1995’s The Last Supper. Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope – another thriller about two men trying to cover up the killing of a classmate – is a likely inspiration, but tonally the movie shares more in common with Scream, Heathers, and Wild Things.
Taking a cue from An American Werewolf in London, the soundtrack is populated by such on-the-nose needle drops as Unwritten Law’s “Teenage Suicide,” Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” Starbelly’s “Die,” Aimee Mann’s “You Could Make a Killing,” The Smiths’ “Girlfriend in a Coma,” The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s “Going to Hell,” and a punk-rock cover of Jan and Dean’s “Dead Man’s Curve” by The Belljars that plays over the end credits. These selections accompany a score composed by the mononymous Shark, whose band Wild Colonials also has two songs in the movie.
The film premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival under its original title, Dead Man’s Curve. It was picked up for U.S. distribution by Trimark, who retitled it The Curve to avoid confusion with Dead Man on Campus. Despite an alleged promise of a theatrical run – not to mention more entertainment value than many of its contemporaries – it was unceremoniously dumped straight to VHS and DVD in March of 1999.
Since then, save for a bare-bones DVD reissue in 2004 from Lionsgate (which is still in circulation), The Curve has been relegated to obscurity. With a plot that would never get made today, this ’90s relic is begging to be recovered and restored on Blu-ray by a company like Scream Factory, Arrow Films, or Vinegar Syndrome. Until then, it’s streaming for free on Tubi.
Head into BD’s archives for more Hidden Horror Gems.