Terror Train
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
A college fraternity prank goes wrong and a student ends up in the mental asylum. Three years later, it's graduation time, and the members of the fraternity decide to have a costume party aboard a train trip to celebrate their graduation. Unknowingly to them, a killer has slipped aboard, killing them off one by one, disguised in the costumes of the victims.
Where to Watch Terror Train
- jackmeatNovember 4, 2025My quick rating - 6.2/10. Only a couple of days to slide in the New Year's horror flix, and this one Rebecca hasn't seen before, nor have I reviewed it here, yet. I have to say, 1980 definitely was the year for Jamie Lee Curtis since she dropped three solid slasher flix in the same year. This one seems to be the least remembered of the bunch (Prom Night and The Fog), but that is also most likely due to it being the least impactful. This is standard-fare slasher flick, which, for 1980, was still relatively new. This one takes place on a train that the fraternity rents for New Year's to have a huge costume bash. I am guessing they made sure it WASN'T a Halloween party on purpose. The typical 80s drunk crowd is conveyed as expected, and you will quickly start rooting for our killer to off some of them sooner than others. The story starts out with a prank against one of the frat brothers that goes wrong when he freaks out due to the graphic nature of the joke. Years later is when this train ride occurs and sets you up for the whodunnit portion of the ride. The kills themselves are fairly tame, but the originality does lie in the execution. The killer does switch costumes each time to keep the crew and the co-eds guessing, which was a nice touch. Also, the hiring of David Copperfield to perform on the train and NOT being on the guest list helps to keep the mystery going as long as possible until the end. Still, a good watch as far as slashers go and very much recommended for fans of the genre who may want to see some of the early stuff. Jamie Lee Curtis had easily solidified the scream queen title by the end of this one and is the highlight along the rails.
Terror Train Trivia
Terror Train was released on October 3, 1980.
Terror Train was directed by Roger Spottiswoode.
Terror Train has a runtime of 1h 37m.
Terror Train was produced by Harold Greenberg.
A college fraternity prank goes wrong and a student ends up in the mental asylum. Three years later, it's graduation time, and the members of the fraternity decide to have a costume party aboard a train trip to celebrate their graduation. Unknowingly to them, a killer has slipped aboard, killing them off one by one, disguised in the costumes of the victims.
The key characters in Terror Train are Carne (Ben Johnson), Alana (Jamie Lee Curtis), Doc (Hart Bochner).
Terror Train is rated R.
Terror Train is a Horror, Thriller, Mystery film.
Terror Train has an audience rating of 3.7 out of 10.
Terror Train had a budget of $3.5M.