Last year, Hadley Briggs (Emma Reinagel) barely survived Halloween when her ex-boyfriend went on a killing spree. He’s been in a mental ward since then, but as her hometown prepares for both the holiday and its 300th birthday, the killings have started all over again, just days after she attempts to return to school.

This is the kind of town that doesn’t just create urban legends and brutal crimes, but also gives birth to characters that each seem like they could be the killer, even Hadley, as she has some secrets that she’s kept since she was stabbed one year ago. When a body shows up with “Happy Halloween” carved in his chest — and photos are sent to Hadley and all of her friends, like best friend Peyton (Aline O’Neill) and quarterback love interest Kagan (Graham Weldin) — this gets tense almost immediately.

Director and writer Brittney Greer recognizes the debt that all slashers owe to Halloween and that all slashers made after 1996 owe to Scream. As the killer continues to decorate the town with the body parts of his or her victims, the one thing that comes to the fore is that Greer is able to authentically translate the very human voices and feelings of her teen characters.

I watched Happy Halloween at Pigeon Share FrightFest. It’s the UK’s best, brightest, and largest independent international thriller, fantasy, and horror film festival and has three major events each year in London and Glasgow. Learn more at the official site.