Granted, THE INITATION doesn't compare favorably to the best slasher films like HALLOWEEN or the original Friday THE 13TH, but even so it's a surprisingly successful horror film buoyed to some degree by a mystery element that, if ultimately unbelievable, still adds immeasurably to the usual formula of young people being killed by a crazy murderer.

Daphne Zuniga stars as a sorority pledge whose usual college problems are magnified by a long history of recurring nightmares. Her parents assure her the dreams are nothing to be afraid of, but our heroine is determined to make peace with her inner demons and put the strange nightmare behind her once and for all. Meanwhile an unknown stalker is hunting her family and friends, and everything comes to a head in a shopping mall after hours from which the killer is determined no one will escape.

THE INITIATION is fairly well-written and directed, with a strong cast (including Clu Gulager and Vera Miles) and some highly effective murder sequences. Though not as bloody as some other slasher films, the movie still packs a visceral punch, and the suspense factor is high as well. The young people who make up most of the film's cast are for the most part quite likable, except for the sorority queen and her drones, so that when they are in danger the viewer really feels it. The lovely Daphne Zuniga does a fine job in her first big feature role, but she gets some surprisingly strong support from her co-stars, including the stunningly beautiful Hunter Tylo (here acting under the name Deborah Morehart). The thrills culminate in a feverish climax with more than one big reveal.

Again, THE INITIATION isn't a horror classic, but it is a solid slasher that hits all the right notes and benefits from a relatively ambitious script which incorporates both mystery and solid characterization. Definitely among the top tier of films in the slasher canon.