As summer vacation comes to an end and classes begin again here in the U.S., there’s no better time to discuss underrated high school movies of the 90’s. Let’s talk about the one where your teachers/staff are constantly dehydrated and are actually aliens trying to take over your town. The Faculty is in need of some love.
This is the one movie I always bring up in horror discussions. People either remember it as a lame 90’s flick or not at all, but rarely are people raving about it with me. Before you roll your eyes, let me make my case.
The film is a blend of sci-fi, horror, and a who’s-behind-it scenario that deserves way more recognition than it gets. The Dream Team [that I would LOVE to see again one day] of director Robert Rodriguez and Scream franchise writer Kevin Williamson brings the right amount of horror and humor to piece; Rodriguez’s directing is spot on with just the right amount of violence and tension, and if it wasn’t for Williamson, the film would sit quietly in the typical horror trope of mindless characters. Rodriguez’s use of CGI (while a bit dated now) and practical effects help elevate the film by pushing past the stereotypical alien antagonist. It doesn’t come off as campy or cheesy looking. Williamson’s dialogue is exceptional as well; he creates a unique world and pokes the right amount of fun at the sci-fi genre cliches the film tends to fall back on. He makes the characters likable, and in a way tries to break the stereotypical ties between a character’s appearance and the consequent expectations of their actions.
While a good portion of The Faculty focuses on high school nerd Casey (Elijah Wood), it is still an ensemble film with each character coming from different cliques. Jordana Brewster (the popular girl), Josh Hartnett (the bad boy), Clea DuVall (the goth girl), Laura Harris (the new girl), and Stan Rosado (the jock) make up a believable cast of high schoolers just trying to survive, in the literal and figurative sense. The performances are exceptional and all bring a unique dynamic to the group. Of course, a great horror film would be nothing without great killer alien-teachers played by Robert Patrick, Bebe Neuwirth, and the lovely Famke Janssen.
A lot of the complaints I have read about the film claim it falls under the same trope that Williamson created with Scream, but that it doesn’t work. I would argue that he took a concept and made it self-aware, just like Scream, but that he exceeded expectations. Williamson does a clever job of incorporating aspects of The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Lets not forget his clever nod to 50’s B-movies like The Blob. Casey and the gang see how absurd killer alien-teachers sound, especially Stokely (Clea Duvall) who wants nothing to do with it. The film never takes itself too seriously, which makes it a standout in the genre. If anything, it makes for some funny and light hearted moments.
Another complaint is the amount of mystery surrounding the origins of the alien. Nothing is clearly explained. We get some subtle hints, but no deep-dark origin story. When did it get here? Was this just a fraction of the species? Does anyone actually remember what happened? The mystery surrounding the aliens is what makes the movie hold up so well. We don’t need an explanation or an origin story. The gang finds out as much as we do by the end of the film.
The Faculty is a clever and fun sci-fi horror movie that has a great cast, good tension, and a great mystery behind it. On a $15 million dollar budget the film brought in a domestic gross of over $40 million dollars; I am still surprised at the lack of interest shown for creating a potential franchise. Regardless, it’s a great one-off that wasn’t milked with sequels. There have been some reports of a potential remake in development, but knowing Hollywood, it might be awhile. Personally, I would love to see a reboot set decades later, with all of the original cast as parents and teachers afflicted with a new species of alien, and maybe a different setting.
If you’ve never seen, or heard, of The Faculty, I highly recommend checking it out and giving it some love. Its one of the best movies of the 90’s and still holds up as one of the best sci-horrors out there right now. For those who have seen it, what do you guys think? Still hold up?
