Several high school students discover that their teachers and faculty members have been infected by an alien parasite, and must fight to protect their friends, and themselves, from the spreading invasion.
High school horror is one of those subgenres that’s hit or miss a lot of the time. More often than not, it feels like it’s used as an excuse for lazy writing and “idiot plot” where the story can only advance based on the moronic decisions of the characters. That’s not the case in The Faculty, which takes an intelligent and unique idea and crafts a truly smart and thrilling plot out of it, wherein the characters themselves actually manage to be fairly smart, especially for high school students. Its creepy atmosphere, ominous and foreboding sense of dread, and an overall fresh spin on the science fiction angle of horror, all culminated into one truly phenomenal film that went criminally underrated for far too long outside of its cult followers.
Robert Rodriguez has established himself as quite the visionary behind the camera over the years, with films across genres and styles that all have his signature flair. That flair is on full display in The Faculty, making incredible use of the screenplay by Kevin Williamson from a story by David Wechter and Bruce Kimmel. The film has an interesting look to it, with a masterful tension in every scene that builds as the movie progresses and all pays off in the end, and a nice dose of genre references and Easter eggs to other films of the genre. Rodriguez stands out from these other films, though, with a visual style and story that’s all its own.
A part of that uniqueness is all thanks to the wonderful ensemble cast, too. Josh Hartnett is cute, Jordana Brewster is sublime, and the rest of the teens are all played perfectly. Even better are the members of the faculty, playing upon the duality of their characters with finesse. Robert Patrick and Piper Laurie are standouts amongst the group, making for an overwhelming feeling of unease in their performances that builds upon the creep factor. And let’s not forget some of the wild stars who make smaller appearances. Usher, Salma Hayek, Elijah Wood and Jon Stewart are all present, and each have their own contribution to the enjoyability of the story. I just wish we could get rid of Danny Masterson.
The biggest praise of the entire film goes to the effects department, though. Crafting genuinely frightening and unique alien creatures that look insanely real, especially given the fact that the film is almost 30 years old, the special effects are absolutely phenomenal. The designs are distinguished, disgusting, and disturbing, and there hasn’t been another film before or since that has quite captured the look and feel of The Faculty. Not to mention that incredible soundtrack, back when needle drops were done right and music was a storytelling device.
While it’s sometimes a little ragged around the edges and the stereotyping of some of the characters feels aged, The Faculty is a wonderful piece of science fiction horror that feels influenced by its predecessors, yet inspired with newness. It’s a staple all its own and deserves all kinds of praise.