The Faculty (1998)
Average Rating: 5.6/10
Reviews Counted: 49
Fresh: 26 | Rotten: 23
Rip-off of other sci-fi thrillers.
Average Rating: 4.7/10
Critic Reviews: 7
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 4
Rip-off of other sci-fi thrillers.
liked it
Average Rating: 2.9/5
User Ratings: 168,882
My Rating
Movie Info
Miramax Films darlings Robert Rodriguez and screenwriter Kevin Williamson teamed up for a high-school alien-horror film that they described as The Breakfast Club meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Dilapidated Herrington High is the location for a story about a school faculty taken over by outer-space creatures, forcing the students to take charge and kick some alien butt. School faculty members (Robert Patrick, Bebe Neuwirth, Salma Hayek, and Jon Stewart) are infested with rapidly reproducing
Dec 25, 1998 Wide
Jun 15, 1999
Miramax
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Michelle Holmes
student -
Famke Janssen
Miss Elizabeth Burke -
Piper Laurie
Mrs. Karen Olson -
Christopher McDonald
Mr. Frank Connor -
Bebe Neuwirth
Principal Valerie Drake -
Elijah Wood
Casey Connor -
Laura Harris
Marybeth Louise Hutchin... -
Robert Patrick
Coach Joe Willis -
Salma Hayek
Nurse Rosa Harper -
-
Shawn Hatosy
Stan Rosado -
Jon Stewart
Mr. Furlong -
Josh Hartnett
Zeke -
Clea DuVall
Stokely 'Stokes' Mitche... -
Usher Raymond
Gabe Santora -
Jordana Brewster
Delilah Profitt -
Harry Knowles
Water Guy -
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All Critics (57) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (26) | Rotten (24) | DVD (17)
This smart, involving sci-fi picture, set in an Ohio high school, pays homage to several genre faves, notably Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing.
Top CriticSince the codes of science fiction are different from horror's cant, the patented Williamson method doesn't make a perfect fit with the material; Faculty's fun, but less fun than it could be.
Just whiskers away from being really snazzy, "The Faculty" still manages to make for a fun night out.
Surely isn't perfect, but it's a solid genre offering from Robert Rodriguez.
A zesty, charming sci-fi horror-thriller with better performances and far better production values than you'd expect.
The Kevin Williamson formula (rewrite familiar horror scenarios and have the characters note the familiarity) has gotten to be a bore, and in this case it makes no sense.
A crappy teen horror movie, but in director Robert Rodriguez's hands it's at least agreeably crappy.
A moviegoer looking for an empty-headed waste of time could do worse.
The sci-fi/horror genre could take a lesson from "The Faculty."
...meant to remind us of other fright films, but to little purpose.
Audience Reviews for The Faculty
Super Reviewer
"Six students are about to find out their teachers really are from a different planet."
Kevin Williamson does for the alien invasion movie with The Faculty what he had previously done for the slasher movie with Scream. The Faculty is a lot like Scream. It's set in a high school, there's a lot of references to the genre, there's a character that has the knowledge of what's going on because she's a lover of the science fiction genre, and there's the overall fun, funny, and entertaining script that Williamson brings to the table. Combine that with Robert Rodriguez's direction and you're in for an extremely fun, genre aware, teen horror show, that will be sure to keep you entertained for the duration.
I can't lie, the movie has some plot holes and it has the flaws that go along with those plot holes. So, it is by no means a perfect movie. Now, I have to say that I loved each and every second of The Faculty. It was a smart, semi-satire, sci-fi, teen horror film. Robert Rodriguez directs it like you would expect from him. It's fast paced and there's quite a bit of stuff going on.
The Faculty is set in Herrington High School, which is somewhere in Ohio. Six students become aware of a situation in the school where faculty members seem to be being taken over by aliens. Soon it's them against everyone as the situation spreads extremely quickly. The six of them are brought together despite their differences. They all have their standard cliché. We have the geek, the jock, the cheerleader, the new girl, the drug dealer, and the goth. All of them are brought to life through cool dialogue and situations, and by competent actors.
There's not much not to love here in my opinion. I can't see someone liking Scream and being unable to like this one. There's the same quick paced, electric feeling to it. There's the same feeling of spoofing the genre, while paying homage to it. Everything is there for an all around fun look at the alien invasion movie. There's references from Alien to Independence Day to Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The filmmakers have seen all these movies just like we have, and use elements of just about every alien invasion movie you can think of. Combined with a little smart and original tones on behalf of Williamson, it works great.
Just a terrific film. Definitely worth a look for lovers of the genre and of Scream. I have trouble understanding why more people didn't fall completely in love with this movie. It's extremely underrated. Maybe it's because people expected it to be just as good as Scream or maybe it's because people just don't get it. Honestly, I don't really give a shit. I loved it.
Super Reviewer
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- Marybeth Louise Hutchinson: You know in my world Casey, there were limitless oceans as far as the eye could see. Beautiful, huh? Till it started to dry out. So I escaped, came here, and I met you, all of you, and all of you were different from the others. You were lost and lonely, just like me. And I thought that maybe I could give you a taste of my world. A world without anger, without fear, without attitude. Where the underachiever goes home at night to parents who care. The jock can be smart, the ugly duckling beautiful, and the class wuss doesn't have to live in terror. The new girl - well - the new girl she can just fit right in with anybody. People who are just like her. You see Casey, even Mary-Beth's feelings can be hurt by a bunch of pathetic, lost, little outcasts who truly believe that their disaffected lonely life is the only way they can survive. I can make you a part of something so special Casey, so perfect, so fearless. Don't you want that, Casey?
- Casey Connor: I'd rather be afraid!
- Marybeth Louise Hutchinson: Fine. Alright. Have it your way! 'Cause this is where your land of fiction gets it right: we win. End of story!
-
- Stokely 'Stokes' Mitchell: I always thought the only alien in this high school was me.
-
- Casey Connor: I say we go for the coach. He turned Stan. He's the one. Or do you want to wait for them to come to us?
- Marybeth Louise Hutchinson: Either way we're completely unarmed.
- Zeke: Maybe not. I might have some more skat. In my trunk.
- Casey Connor: In your trunk? In your car? Amongst the aliens? Oh, that's convenient!
-
- Casey Connor: (final lines in the movie) Things sure have changed, haven't they?
-
- Coach Joe Willis: (menacingly) Would Miss Drake please report to the Principal's Office?
-
- Zeke: You both take the drug.
- Casey Connor: (already high) Ohh, showdown!
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Latest News on The Faculty
February 1, 2007:
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May 11, 2005:
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Representatives from various cliques (jock, wuss, prep, rebel, weirdo, new kid) ban together when they stumble upon the revelation that their school is ground zero for an alien invasion. It's nothing new, but Kevin Williamson and Robert Rodriguez put a nice and slick twist to things that makes for a very entertaining watch. I think I really gravitate towards this ,especially when I was younger, because I could identify with the themes of isolation, not fitting in, etc. which is why I also became a fan of The Breakfast Club around that time as well.
The cast is star studded, featuring Elijah Wood, Clea Duvall, Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, Laura Harris, and Shawn Hatosy as the primary group we follow, and Robert Patrick, Piper Laurie, Bebe Neuwirth, Salma Hayek, Jon Stewart, Famke Janssen, and even film critic Harry Knowles as some of the titular faculty. Christopher McDonald puts in an appearance as the father of Wood's character, and we also get singer Usher, Wiley Wiggins ,and Danny Masterson as some of the other students.
The effects mostly hold up, though some look rather hammy. At least there's a decent amount of violence and some gruesomeness, even if not all of it is that convincing anymore.
The film is a bit of a slow starting mystery, but once it kicks in, it's a fun ride with a decent soundtrack. Give it a go.