Founders Day(2024)
Dark Sky Films Jan 19, 2024
A small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election.
Release Details
Original Release | Jan 19, 2024 | Wide
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Technical Specifications
Sound Mix: D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Other Details
Country of Origin: United States
Language: English
Summaries
Plot Summary
- With their hometown of Fairwood only days away from a contentious election between Harold Faulkner and incumbent mayor Blair Gladwell, Harold's estranged daughter Melissa accompanies her girlfriend Allison Chambers to the Bank Street movie theater where Allison used to work. Melissa remains outside among political protestors while Allison goes inside to retrieve a sentimental padlock she left behind. Allison has brief encounters with Melissa's brother Adam, who works at the theater, and with Melissa's ex-boyfriend Rob Donahue, who is now involved with Adam's ex Lilly, the current mayor's daughter.With Allison preparing to leave town for college in Raleigh, she and Melissa go to a bridge where couples declare their love with initialed padlocks. There, Melissa is attacked by someone dressed in a red mask, powdered wig, and judge's robe. The attacker seemingly beats Melissa with a gavel before throwing her over the bridge. Allison flees back into town.At the local high school the following day, Deputy Finn Miller interrupts a Founders Day lesson taught by respected teacher Mr. Len Jackson to pull Adam from class. No longer living at home due to disagreements with his father Harold's politics, Adam learns for the first time from Harold, accompanied by Adam's stepmother Nancy, that Melissa is missing. Meanwhile, police commissioner Judith Peterson questions Allison about the attack.Mayor Blair Gladwell holds a city council meeting with her main advisor Oliver Hull over whether or not to go forward with Fairwood's traditional Founders Day celebration even though a killer may be on the loose. Blair makes the final decision to hold the festival, which draws the ire of Harold Faulkner for disrespecting his daughter's possible death.Back at the high school, punk couple Tyler and Britt pull a prank on Allison by staging a fake murder attempt. Sympathizing with Allison because she shows a strong interest in his social studies course, Len gives Tyler and Britt detention.Allison and Adam attend a party for movie theater employees where Lilly tries reconciling her broken relationship with Adam. After Allison and Adam leave, Rob jealously insults Lilly. Rob then storms out to a bar, but being underage, he is kicked out by Deputy Miller, who was at the bar having drinks with Len Jackson and Oliver Hull.Tyler and Britt pull their fake murder prank on Lilly once she is alone in the theater. After Tyler and Britt leave, the real masked murderer slits Lilly's throat.Adam sleeps over Allison's house. Adam confesses to Allison that he broke up with Lilly because his sister Melissa secretly saw Lilly making out with Rob in an alleyway.When Harold comes to pick up his son in the morning, he chides Allison's father Thomas for not informing him where Adam was. Harold and his family have another tense encounter with Blair and Oliver when they go into town for Founders Day festivities.At the same time as the celebration, Len hosts Saturday morning detention for Tyler and Britt. After Len exits his classroom, Tyler and Britt start to have sex on Len's desk, but the masked murderer kills them both.Rob unexpectedly discovers Lilly's body in a dumpster. Rob immediately informs Deputy Miller and Commissioner Peterson, who force Blair and Oliver to shut down the Founders Day festival. Blair shrieks wildly upon seeing her daughter's mutilated body. Deputy Miller tries questioning Rob further, but Rob runs away, which kicks off a police manhunt for him.Allison walks into Len Jackson's classroom to find Adam dressed in the killer's costume and writing cryptic messages on the chalkboard. Adam chases Allison while trying to offer an explanation. Allison runs outside to her father. Fearful for his daughter's life, Thomas impales Adam through his stomach with a piece of pointed wood. With his dying words, Adam says, "It wasn't supposed to happen like this."Thinking he may be involved as a second murderer in addition to Adam, Commissioner Peterson questions Thomas with suspicion while Allison waits in Thomas's car. Having evaded capture, Rob gets into the car with Allison. Rob convinces Allison to sneak away together. After finishing with the commissioner, Thomas joins Deputy Miller to pursue Allison and Rob.Concerned citizens assemble at Town Hall to discuss the possibility of multiple murderers. Out of her mind from grief and drunkenness, Blair proposes forming a vigilante mob to raze the town in search of the killer, which fosters more panic among confused townspeople who suddenly turn on the mayor.Blair returns to her office where Harold heatedly confronts her with hard evidence of financial corruption. The masked killer interrupts to stab Blair to death with a campaign sign before repeatedly stabbing Harold to death, too. Commissioner Peterson walks in on the murders, so the killer also slaughters her.Allison and Rob return to the bridge where Melissa disappeared to look for more clues. Deputy Miller arrives to frantically warn that Allison's father attacked him and she supposedly isn't safe. However, Miller mistakenly offers two accounts regarding what happened to Thomas since he was supposedly attacked. After he gets handcuffed to the bridge, Rob struggles with Miller over the deputy's service weapon, ultimately causing Miller to get shot in the stomach. Unsure if she can trust Rob, Allison leaves him handcuffed and rushes home.At her house, Allison finds her father dressed as the killer under her bed, but he turns out to be bait so she can be attacked from behind. Once she regains consciousness, Allison wakes in restraints in front of the real killer, who unmasks herself as Melissa.Through flashbacks, Melissa reveals how she and Adam staged her apparent attack on the bridge. Melissa goes on to explain how her and her brother's frustrations with their father as well as with the town drove them to murder, and Melissa was further able to influence Adam because of Lilly cheating on him. Melissa finishes by saying how she plans to make it look like Allison was the murderer all along and the siblings were framed.After speaking to Melissa over the phone, Len Jackson arrives. Allison hears him admonishing Melissa for not sticking to his plan. Melissa gives Len a knife so he can get his hands dirty by killing Allison, but Len uses it to stab Melissa instead.Melissa chases Allison downstairs in the commotion. Following a violent struggle, Allison stabs Melissa in her throat.Len tries calming Allison by explaining how he manipulated Melissa and Adam into committing the murders so he could create a line of succession that allowed him to become the next mayor without an election, since he is the longest-serving council member. Oliver and Deputy Miller are also revealed to have been in on Len's plan, which involved the siblings killing other people so Blair and Harold's deaths wouldn't seem obvious. Len concludes by making an appeal to Allison that he will actually change Fairwood for the better as long as she doesn't implicate him to the police.One year later, Len continues a successful term as mayor with Oliver as his advisor. Meanwhile, Allison follows in Len's footsteps by becoming the student president at her university. (thanks to culturecrypt)
Storyline
- In this satirical political slasher, a small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election. As accusations fly and the threat of a masked killer darkens every street corner, the residents must race to uncover the truth before fear consumes the town.
