Ah, High School. For most of us, our memories of those four years are either that of misery, or a fond remembrance of some of the best years of our lives. No matter which camp you fall into, you likely experienced many of the typical aspects that have been featured so heavily in media – cheerleaders, dances, and groups divided by their social status.  Tales From Middleton High, a horror-based anthology from writer/director Zach Lorkiewicz, explores these quintessential high school experiences, layered in a gory, campy, blood-soaked cloak.

Running at just over one hour, the five segments are all around ten minutes in length, except for the last one, which takes up nearly a quarter of the entire film (but more on that later). They all progressively shift in tone from story to story, going from nonsensical and exaggerated in the beginning, to grim and nefarious by the final episode. Middleton High is said to be the oldest and most haunted High School in America – at least according to Principal Clemens (Roxanne Saylor). We get segues between each installment with clever narrations from her in the style of Masterpiece Theater, which helps to prepare you for what you’re about to watch. She’s easily the most intriguing character in the entire movie, adding an air of genial cheesiness.

“Pep” (starring Avril Dominguez as Penelope), starts things off as the story with the lightest tone, but don’t let that fool you; it still provides plenty of carnage. The 85th annual dance-off between the Pom Poms and the Cheerleaders is about to take place, but the Poms have never won in all that time. How far will they go to win? This is arguably the strongest of the bunch, and gives definite Creepshow vibes.

Next is “I Love Lucy”, starring Danielle Lauder and Jacob Kogan as Lucy and Rex, a teenage couple looking to spice up their night after the Valentine’s dance. Unfortunately for Rex, he gets more than he bargained for. This retains the same over-the-top silliness as “Pep”, which genuinely sets the bar for how you think the entire movie is going to go.

“The Cheerleader Trials” is when the overall feel begins to shift. Greta (Anjali Nath) is in the middle of her final performance of the school’s play, when its alleged curse strikes, causing havoc and mayhem for all involved. Shot entirely in the style of a stage production, this is an odd tale that feels too plodding even with its short running time.

“The Ball”, stars Avril Dominguez in dual roles as two women vying for the same boy to take them to the school’s ball. This is very much a period piece, from the wardrobe design to the dialogue, and mirrors its predecessor in being told in play style.

The final segment, “Loveless”, is the biggest divergence in tone. The only episode to be shot in  found footage style, It follows four teen girls – Kelly (Anastasia Katarina), Fifi (Sarah O’ Connor), Daphne (Lauren Elyse Buckley), and Brittney (Brittany Lewis). They’re heading into the underbelly of Middleton’s streets to perform a seance, which of course, ends up going horrifically wrong. This is not only the longest of the stories, but also the one that feels the most out of place. Even though much emphasis is put on the fact that all of these chapters take place within the halls of Middleton High, this one has nothing to do with the school, and features an entirely different method of filming. It’s also much more horror-like in tone, when the others before it all had an element of cheekiness.

It’s clear the intent was to deliver a pop-y, frivolous collection of horror-based entertainment, and with the first half, it delivers. Once the third story gets going, however, it begins to fall off the rails. For such a short movie, Tales From Middleton High feels like it’s trying to be too many genres, with not enough time to properly delve them out. By the time you get to “Loveless”, you’re so perplexed that it distracts from the general enjoyment of what could have been a highly unique and amusing collection of fictional horror and comedy.