At the Falcon Academy of Athletics located in Brookfall, Massachusetts, a killer wielding a javelin is targeting seven athletes who have been given experimental drugs in order to improve their performance in the Nationals.
The film contains examples of:
- Affably Evil: Outside of their killer persona, Diane is the nicest person at the academy. Too bad they're off their rocker.
- Big Bad: Diane Paine is the killer.
- Cheap Costume: The killer sports a dark hooded jacket with matching pants, gloves, and shoes. Under the hood, they also wear a stocking over their face and a black beanie.
- Cross Player: Diane is biologically male, but is played by an actress.
- Final Girl: Good-girl Annie is the one to confront the killer at the end, though her boyfriend manages to avoid being attacked period.
- Gender Bender: Diane was born a male and tried to change their gender. Though, they look female, the sex change didn't work.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: The killer's modus operandi is impaling people with a javelin. It's also how they meet their demise, via a sports trophy.
- Malevolent Masked Men: The killer wears a black stocking over their face, which, when combined with the darkness, makes them look faceless.
- Offscreen Teleportation: During the chase with Annie, the killer manages to get from the natatorium to the roof in a matter of seconds, in order to surprise her through a skylight window.
- Red Herring: Both coaches are suspect for wanting the current crop of athletes dead. Coach Webber is an alcoholic who feels that the athletes today don't have the drive to win, and Coach Drew is the lover of a swimmer who was defeated by one of the victims.
- Retired Badass: The coaches used to be Olympic champions.
- Serial Killer: As opposed to a spree killer or mass murderer, which most slashers tend to be.
- Skinny Dipping: Frank drops trou after challenging Lynn to a race in the pool.
- The Reveal: Two, technically. As the audience learns the killer's identity a few minutes before the Final Girl finds the clue that helps her put the pieces together.
- Title Sequence: A montage of the athletes performing, set to an inspirational synth-pop song
. - Training from Hell: A running theme throughout the film. The athletes are put through this by their coaches, being forced to push past their limits. The coaches themselves are implied to have gone through this, as at one point Coach Webber mentions how kids today have it easy.
