Whodunit disguised as a slasher

It has been a long time since a good "slasher" flick has graced the screen. It's been almost ten years since the last good one, "Scream," and over twice as long since the classics. And this is assuming you believe any slice-and-dice scary movie could be called "classic" or even "good," because most people do not.\nIt is a darn good thing that the surprisingly good "Cry Wolf" is a whodunit far removed from the realm of two-bit horror movies. Actually, this movie is probably closer to "The Game" than anything like "Friday the 13th." \nThe story follows Owen (Julian Matthews), an intelligent high school troublemaker whose father drags him to prep school after prep school. Owen starts at the campus of Westlake just when a townie is murdered in the woods, and his new school friends decide to make a psychological game out of the killing.\nAnd that is really what this movie is: a psychological game. Owen's new buddies, headed by the hot, smart Dodger (Lindy Booth), are introduced when their leader invites Owen to join a game of "Wolf and Sheep." The point of the game is, as Dodger says, to "avoid suspicion, lie to your friends and eliminate your enemies." \nBut Owen and Dodger decide to push the game a bit further by toying with the student body. Together, they fabricate a story about a serial killer in hopes of throwing the school into a panic. They succeed maybe too well, and things start to get out of hand when somebody starts sending creepy instant messages, vandalizing dorm rooms and stalking the main players.\nMy only major problem with this mystery thriller is the ending comes too soon. After the exposition and rising action have been meticulously woven into an intriguing tale, everything is suddenly over. The climax comes at what feels like the middle of the movie, probably because the whole movie is only an hour and a half long. \nWhile there are not any big holes in the storyline and most viewers will be kept guessing up until the very end, the resolution feels like somewhat of a cop-out. It makes me wonder why the powers-that-be would not have added an extra 20 minutes and finished constructing the film as studiously as they did for the first hour.\nThis is not the "Cry Wolf" that has been advertised in any preview that I have seen, and it is a shame that it will probably be wrongfully passed by. But it is a smart, solid thriller that will pleasantly surprise you if you hazard the second look. Speaking of pleasant surprises, check out Jon Bon Jovi as the ever-present English teacher. Nice touch.