Each of the heroes represents a different high school type: popular babe (Jordana Brewster), picked-on geek (Elijah Wood), goth girl (Clea DuVall), sensitive jock (Shawn Hatosy), new kid in town (Laura Harris), and bad-boy rebel (Josh Hartnett). The plot isn't much--a basic kill-or-be-killed premise spiked with a healthy shot of paranoia--but Willliamson and Rodriguez do a great job of building the tension slowly but surely. The suspense set pieces are genuinely frightening, and the film pokes fun at itself without deflating its scares; Williamson is a master at shifting gears from comedy to horror quickly and adroitly. The young cast doesn't have a weak link among them (with special kudos to Wood, DuVall and heartthrob-in-the-making Hartnett), and Rodriguez gets maximum mileage from the titular faculty, which includes Jon Stewart, Piper Laurie, Salma Hayek, Bebe Neuwirth, and Robert Patrick of Terminator 2. Go to the head of the class, Mr. Williamson. --Mark Englehart

We begin in the confines of our little Ohio-based school system, introduced to the living representations of all our modern stereotypes of what students can be. From there we see the basic interactions and the bullying - the drug-use and subsequent salesmanship, and the athletics - as our gaze is focused through one "geek" (Elijah Woods). Thinking his life is difficult enough already, he finds himself shocked when, looking around on the football field, he discovers the dehydrated remains of what appears to be a new species. Odder still, is its ability to come to life when introduced to water. This leads down even more bizarre pathways for him, and he finds himself and this band of miscreants we spent time watching early becoming stars when thrust into the gears of what seems to be an alien invasion.

While the script was nothing new, the actors more made up for this by providing seamless performances that were sometimes dry and sometimes surprisingly funny. On top of this, the effects on this were, in a word, delightful, giving the watcher something to keep an eye out for. From the beast with rows of teeth that would make any dentist smile and sing songs of happiness to the aquarium-based lifeforms, the DVD version of this had a quality that was simply superb. Add all of this together and you get one thing; a movie that is enjoyably delectable.


The best horror movie ever, fantastic cast and storyline   June 21, 1999
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

I first saw "The Faculty" on a plane ride to London and was immediately hooked. I ended up watching it three times just on the plane ride. I thought each of the cast members gave an outstanding performance, and had a great chemistry. I saw some actors that I was already a fan of (Jon Stewart, Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Usher Raymond), and found plenty of new favorites (Shawn Hatosy, Clea DuVall, especially, as well as Jordana Brewster, Laura Harris, and the entire cast). I loved the unraveling of the plot, and how it wasn't based on science fiction only, it also dealt with the average confused teenager. The friendships and relationships that develop between the characters add so much to the plot, making it more than just a horror movie. The concept of the aliens and how the kids were able to use thier talents and areas of knowledge figure out exactly who and what the aliens were was clever, and the script couldn't have been better. The movie made me laugh, scream, and even cry. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I strongly recommend this movie, and if I could give it six stars I would. The best movie I've ever seen.


Not Bad   June 18, 1999
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Not bad at all. I wanted to see this in the theater, but my husband wouldn't go with me, since I'd dragged him to the putrid 'Urban Legend' the month before (I regretted it too). I really wish now I'd seen it in the theater, I still liked it on video but it's one of those 'popcorn' movies. I took stars away for it's shamelessly ripping off "The Thing", one of the ten best horror films ever made (in my opinion that is) and one I've seen over a dozen times. The take-the-test-to-make-sure-the monster-isn't-you scene and the severed head spouting legs and running around, spider-like, are right out of that movie (and so is the character's 'what the f---?' line when he sees it). But if you're going to steal, steal from the best. I also am not the biggest Kevin Williamson fan in the world, maybe because I'm not in my 20's anymore and I find his aren't-I-clever pop-culture references painful. But those are minor points. I've seen most of the stuff he scripted and this is his best--much more unpredictable. Unfortunately I figured out who the "Queen" alien was before it happened, because I read a semi-spoiler. But in the scene (the one ripped off from the thing) where all the characters are alone in a room and one-by-one are tested to see if they have the monster in them, the last one I expected turned out to be the monster. I'm pretty good at guessing plot twists, so I liked that. Also, I don't think this movie would have been as fun or enjoyable without Robert "Rocket" Rodriguez directing. He just kicks ass. The scenes with the fireworks going off at the football game were beautifully shot, and the monster scenes were also fantastic, especially the shot in the locker room where the monster barrels after the kid and whole banks of lockers go flying through the air. The swimming pool scene was also pretty impressive. Also, maybe it wasn't original compared to, say, older horror films such as Re-Animator and The Thing, but compared to most of the teen horror film s--t that has been put out recently that has been so trendy, this is much more original. For instance, the fact that drugs are used as a weapon against the aliens (I think this is what really pissed off so many of the parents who rant about banning the movie) was great and refreshingly un-PC. The cast was also good, especially most of the Faculty members/aliens such as BeBe Neuwirth and Piper Laurie. The kids were all pretty good actors. The effects were mind-blowing, and I'm glad they mixed animatronics with CGI. (I'm noticing less and less animatronics in horror films and more CGI as the years go by, and that kind of disturbs me...I can imagine that years from now, movies will be put out that feature not only CGI effects but CGI actors. OK, I'm scaring myself) Also, the fact that if the Queen alien is killed, that the rest of the infected aliens will turn back into the humans they were annoyed me at first, but when I thought back on it was original. Also, it doesn't have one of those lame "the end...or is it?" type endings that leaves room for a sequel. Gotta admire that. Definitely worth a rental...don't forget the popcorn.


Not my style, but I'll admit I loved it   March 31, 2008
Dave. K (Staten Island, Ny)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

The 90s were an interesting time for the horror genre; the 90s started off on a down note for horror flicks, while there were plenty of one that were successful it seemed like there were more misses. The days of the franchises were all, but over as they finally ran out of steam and the audience weren't really responding to them as well. The filmmakers who shaped the genre in the 70s and 80s were now falling on tough times. New franchises started and most ended up going direct to video. But than Kevin Williamson came along and bought horror back big time. Like his work or not at one point this guy was the biggest thing in horror and really shook things up. Suddenly well known TV actors were now starring in horror flicks something that was never possible in the 80s and even some well known film stars did horror. While I prefer a cast of unknowns or cult actors, point is Williamson changed a lot in the genre.

The Faculty is the typical horror flick from this point in the 90s; the stylized hey look at us we're so smart and cool era made famous by Kevin Williamson. At this point in his career Kevin Williamson was red hot. All the screenplays he wrote were huge hits and spawned several knock offs and his TV work like Dawson's Creek became the latest teen sensation. I'll confess Kevin Williamson's movies are sort of guilty pleasures. In particular they aren't my kind of horror, but I do enjoy watching his movies again his flicks are my guilty pleasures. He found a formula that worked and rode it out until the end.

The Faculty is a high school version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and there are many references to the Body Snatcher movies and novel as well. I'm a sucker for the Body Snatcher movies I love them all and no many how many remakes come I'll watch them. Most people will cite Scream as Williamson's best work as a writer, but I'm going with The Faculty. All that made Scream so popular is here, but at times it felt a little forced where as The Faculty it doesn't seem so forced. I thought this was well written and with excellent if not cliched characters, which I believe was intentional.

Besides Invasion of the Body Snatchers there is also a homage to The Thing as well. If Scream was his homage to slasher flicks, The Faculty was Williamson's homage to Alien Invasion movies. The characters as stated are cliched, but they work well actually and are all quite likeable. They are well developed and in some ways all add to the plot. Again most people will cite Scream as his best, but I have to go with The Faculty. In a sense all of Williamson's scripts are almost a rewrite of each other. They all follow the same formula, but they were all mostly well written.

Robert Rodriguez is one of my favorite directors and he does an excellent job here. The pacing of the film is very well done. The plot or characters always move forward and honestly there is never really a dull moment. Something is always happening to keep the viewer hooked on the movie. The Faculty does lack the thrills and chills of the Body Snatcher movies, but there is some decent suspense and tension to be found. At this time in horror everything was very Hollywood stylized made for a new crowd and people like me were pretty much left out, but The Faculty is one of the very best from the Williamson era.

The Faculty is a slight letdown is the sense I did expect more from Robert Rodriguez in the thrills and chills department, but that is actually the one real fault in the script. Everything is so hip and cool I suppose that is why it gets lost so for me that is the only flaw in the script. But there is some decent suspense and tension at times and probably better than most of these Hollywood horror flicks at the time, but I did expect more from Robert Rodriguez, but regardless he does do an excellent job at keeping the pace moving and always keeps the movie a lot of fun.

About my only complaint is in the final act when we find out who the main alien is we see him or her out of human form. I don't know for me it just didn't work. The saying sometimes what you don't see is better and in this case I think that's true. For me the alien out of human form just didn't fully work. But it's not something that ruins the movie. The Faculty is still enjoyable, but I would have preferred the alien to stay in human form.

The Faculty is a product of it's time. Every element of 90s horror is here though a lot has changed since this type of flick is a thing of the past now. But despite my problem with the movies of this era, The Faculty is in my opinion one of the better flicks from that time. The casting is solid and all the actors provide solid performances. I actually liked all the characters and found myself rooting for them to survive.

Who knew this would mark the end of the Kevin Williamson era? While it may not have lasted long it did revive the horror genre and start a new trend even if what in spawned was mostly lousy with some exceptions. After this, Williamson would fail at the box office as a writer and producer and his TV shows didn't make it out of their first season. Kind of weird how at one moment he's box office gold and TV ratings gold and the next moment everything is a flop. Overall The Faculty despite being Hollywood stylized is in my opinion a very enjoyable take on Invasion of the Body Snatchers.