Days before graduation, a set of high school bullies are given a bloody send-off by a masked killer in indie slasher Departing Seniors; a punny title likely lost on British viewers expecting an elderly road-trip movie. They should have called it Carrie On Studying.

A meta horror/comedy inspired by Heathers and Scream, Departing Seniors is not afraid to namecheck its predecessors; screenwriter Jose Nateras admits in the Q&A to wearing his influences on his sleeve, yet wanted to introduce a gay Hispanic protagonist. And Javier (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio) is a refreshing hero; a sarcastic and intelligent student haunted by Final Destination premonitions and Freddy’s Revenge-style visions that channel his experiences as a queer Mexican teenager. But by namedropping horror movies every other line (much like this paragraph), the film ironically fails to carve out its own identity.

The Scream Queens-type approach limits the picture from exploring its themes of racism and homophobia, as Javier’s white-bread bullies begin being bumped off in what is misinterpreted as a spate of teen suicides. The film lampoons the generic convention of having school Carrie on uninterrupted in the midst of mass murder, achieving high marks for its sarcastic dialogue and charming performances; Diaz-Silverio is likeable in the lead, with Ireon Roach registering the biggest laughs as Javier’s best friend Bianca.

Shot in Chicago over 16 days (using local actors and bands on the soundtrack), Departing Seniors is well directed by Clare Cooney in her debut feature; a female-led production distinguished by its gay characters. But narratively it offers few surprises, thanks to its repetitive structure, obvious reveal and reliance on archetypes (bitchy valedictorian, black best friend etc). Javier’s psychic abilities also have no bearing on the plot, and jettisoning the supernatural elements could have made way for fresher ideas. But forgiving its familiar classroom trappings, Departing Seniors graduates as a fun take on the jock-shock genre.