I think in the end audiences will find the finale of “F” to be rather infuriating for the simple fact that while director Johannes Roberts doesn’t create a very conventional horror film, he also doesn’t opt for a conventional final scene. And viewers awaiting a huge showdown or some sense of comprehension to the extreme events that have occurred throughout the running time of “F,” many will find that it just doesn’t come to a close as many will be expecting. We live in a world where movies explain everything and anything they can. “F” chooses to leave most of its premise a mystery and keeps the motives of its almost supernatural legion of villains a mystery even after the credits have finished rolling.
I think after spending four years in high school it’s become quite startling how much the youth has deteriorated in to a vast wasteland of recklessness, apathy, and violence. With modern society so heavily centered on keeping the youth untarnished we’re entering in to a world where the young folks have all of the power. We can’t give them bad grades because their self-esteem will be crushed. We can’t lecture them because they may be humiliated. We can’t yell at them or punish them because there may be a lawsuit or fiasco. That’s what happens when “F” demonstrates the horrible violence of formless entities that enter in to a school after hours to wreak havoc on the faculty. And that’s why we’ll see most of the characters on-screen suffer horrible fates.
After a violent altercation with a student, teacher Robert Anderson returns to his job traumatized and horrified to discover recklessness is still running amok on school grounds. A full blown alcoholic, divorced, and no longer close to his daughter who happens to be a student, he demands she stay after school for detention. Little does he know his pathetic plan to keep her in arm’s length has set her up for a harrowing nightmare as shadowy figures in hoodies swarm around the school with swift precision and begin violently murdering every single staff member within the closed school. Director Roberts describes “F” as a remake of “Assault on Precinct 13” and while it does bear striking similarities (the youths are utterly numerous and cold in their intent on murder and torture), “F” tries for a more thought provoking glimpse in to the new world where children are simply out of control and bear very little respect toward adults.
The privileges and coddling has allowed them to garner immense power over their adult superiors, and the young attackers seemingly come out of nowhere inflicting horrible acts on their adult victims. While “F” can hold with it massive carnage and some absolutely horrific scenes of torture and murder, Roberts keeps the film at a steady pace with a cat and mouse chase and hide scenario prevalent throughout the course of the film’s running time. There are moments of pure tension where characters attempt to outwit their attackers, and you can never be sure where they’re hiding and where they’ll pop out of. There is some hinting as to what provoked such a calculated gory attack on these faculty members in the way of gang initiations, and a spree of violent gang attacks occurring across the city (as we see in newspaper clippings character Robert keeps as a reminder), but there’s not a truly defined solution to what is happening and why they’re so quick to torture these teachers before ending their lives.
David Scholfield gives a very compelling performance as this destroyed man ruined by his profession struggling to keep his daughter out of harm’s way, and he’s as flawed a persona as you’d expect from public education, forced in to a terrible scenario and inevitably a horrible dilemma by the time the film has closed, one that will keep many fans happy with convention, absolutely infuriated. Viewers who loved films like “Ils Them,” and “The Strangers” will want to check out “F” a low budget horror film that drips with tension, suspense, and horrible graphic violence in all suitable portions keeping the shocks coming at every turn. While audiences will be conflicted by the final scene, “F” sets up a dilemma that should provoke a lot of discussion.