Film was filmed in upstate New York, primarily in the small rural town of Argyle and the nearby city of Glens Falls. The production utilized a real lakeside property on Summit Lake to create the summer camp setting that serves as the backdrop for the story. The plot follows a shy young girl named Angela who is sent to Camp Arawak for the summer along with her cousin Ricky. As campers and counselors start getting picked off one by one in increasingly gruesome ways, suspicion falls on various members of the camp community. The film builds tension through its isolated camp setting, taking advantage of the genuine wooded landscape and lake environment of Washington County, New York. It became a cult classic in the slasher genre, particularly known for its shocking twist ending that remains one of the most talked-about conclusions in horror film history. The low-budget production managed to create an authentic summer camp atmosphere by shooting at real locations rather than studio sets, which gives the film a grounded, realistic feel despite its genre trappings.

Filming locations:

Summit Lake - Boating Accident Scene

In the movie

Scene where the boating accident occurs on the lake at the beginning of the film, establishing the tragic backstory. A father and his two children are involved in a terrible accident on the water when a motorboat strikes them, setting the entire plot into motion and providing the traumatic event that shapes the protagonist's life going forward.

In reality

The scene was filmed a private lakefront area on Summit Lake in rural Argyle, New York. The lake is a modest body of water surrounded by woods and residential properties along Miller Road. It provided the natural waterfront setting needed for the opening boating accident sequence, and the area remains largely rural and undeveloped to this day.

Camp Arawak

In the movie

Scene where the main summer camp setting where the majority of the film takes place. All the camp activities, social interactions between campers and counselors, and the series of mysterious deaths occur at this location. The baseball diamond, cabins, and surrounding grounds all feature prominently throughout the film as the body count steadily rises.

In reality

The scene was filmed a property on Lohret Road in Argyle, New York, which served as the primary filming location for the fictional Camp Arawak. The site is situated in a rural, wooded area of Washington County that provided the authentic summer camp environment central to the film. The grounds included open fields, wooded areas, and structures that were dressed to look like a functioning summer camp.

Aunt Martha's House

In the movie

Scene where the eccentric Aunt Martha sends Angela and her cousin Ricky off to summer camp. The house interior and exterior are used to establish the unusual family dynamic and Martha's quirky, overbearing personality before the kids depart for Camp Arawak, setting up key character relationships for the rest of the film.

In reality

The scene was filmed a residential home on Roosevelt Avenue in Glens Falls, a small city in Warren County, New York. The house is located in a typical northeastern American neighborhood with tree-lined streets and modest homes. Glens Falls sits at the southern end of the Adirondack region and has served as a filming location for several productions over the years.