555
A spate of killings of teenagers by a maniac dressed like a hippie causes a detective to check the records for similar killings. He discovers that every five years, in the fifth month of the year, for five consecutive days, the same type of killings have occurred, and the few descriptions of the suspect always match: he's dressed like a hippie. As the detective searches for the killer, he begins to have suspicions about his superior, an older man who is haunted by memories of his military service in Vietnam.
Why it matters
A gritty slice of late-’80s slasher lore that mixes ritualistic mystery with Vietnam War trauma, carving out a niche in the era’s crowded killer-hoodie market.
- Unearths a chilling pattern of murders tied to cyclical folklore—five years, five days, five victims—offering a ritualistic rhythm rare in slasher fare.
- The killer’s hippie disguise flips the usual villain costume trope, hinting at deeper generational and cultural anxieties simmering beneath the surface.
- A detective’s descent into suspicion and paranoia channels post-Vietnam horror undercurrents, reflecting ’80s America’s unresolved trauma.
- Practical effects and low-budget grit ground the film, appealing to fans of regional slashers and offbeat indie horror relics.
Director
Cast
Horror DNA
Gore
43
Slow Burn
50
Psychological
57
Supernatural
0
Creature
0
Disturbing
33
Fun Factor
33
Cerebral
0
Survival
50
Slasher
