The Faculty (1998)
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A group of high school students begin to suspect that their teachers are being replaced by extraterrestrials.
The story
At Herrington High School in Ohio, a group of students becomes suspicious of their teachers' behavior. After a series of strange occurrences, including the discovery of a mysterious creature on the football field and the apparent transformation of staff members, the students begin to suspect that their teachers are being replaced by extraterrestrials. The students, including a dedicated photographer, a rebellious student, and a naive transfer student, must navigate the growing tension and the threat of an alien invasion while trying to uncover the truth behind the school's mysterious changes.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After Principal Drake is attacked and teachers are seen acting strangely, students Casey, Delilah, Stan, Stokely, Zeke, and Marybeth begin to suspect an alien conspiracy. They discover a parasitic organism and realize the teachers are being controlled by extraterrestrials. Zeke discovers that a caffeine-based 'drug' can repel the parasites. After several students are infected, the group attempts to destroy the 'alien queen'—whom they believe to be Principal Drake. However, it is revealed that Marybeth is the actual queen. Following a final confrontation in the gym and a struggle at the swimming pool, Casey manages to kill the queen with the caffeine drug. One month later, the survivors are returned to normal, and the truth of the invasion becomes public knowledge, though the government denies it.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Rodriguez
- Writers
- Kevin Williamson · screenplay; David Wechter · story; Bruce Kimmel · story
- Cast and characters
- Jordana Brewster · not specified; Clea DuVall · Stokely; Laura Harris · not specified; Josh Hartnett · not specified; Shawn Hatosy · not specified; Famke Janssen · not specified; Piper Laurie · not specified; Bebe Neuwirth · not specified; Robert Patrick · not specified; Usher Raymond · Gabe; Jon Stewart · Mr. Furlong; Elijah Wood · not specified
- Genres
- science fiction; horror
- Themes
- teenage alienation; loss of individuality; female sexuality
- Tone and mood
- self-aware; meta; suspenseful
- Premise and plot tags
- alien invasion; parasites; high school
- Content notes
- horror
- Reception
- The film has developed a cult following and was praised for its self-aware script and meta humor, though its initial box office performance was below expectations.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 57% · scale: approval rating · review count: 65; Metacritic · score: 61 · scale: 100 · review count: 19; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- ALMA Award · director · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's title was considered by the studio to be less appealing to younger audiences than titles like Alienated or The Others.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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