This post is part of my movie-a-day challenge in which I will watch a film every day for 365 days. Today is Day 298! You can see all the posts for this challenge HERE. To see the original Movie-a-Day Challenge post, click HERE.
Hey Friends!
Alright, so I sat down and watched “The Faculty” last night, and wow, what a blast from the late 90s, right? I mean, this is like one of those perfect snapshots of that era – complete with suspicious baggy sweaters, floppy hair, and a soundtrack that aggressively tells you “it’s the 90s, and we’re cool.” But despite the whole aesthetic time-warp, this movie was not at all what I expected. Or maybe it was exactly what I expected, and that’s why I low-key loved it.
So picture this: you’re in high school in a small Ohio town, and your teachers suddenly start acting very Stepford Wives-ish, but, like, more sinister. Turns out, they’re being taken over by a parasitic alien species. Classic, right? But what makes this film so FUN is how it takes all the high school movie tropes we know and love – the jock, the nerd, the goth, the good girl, you get the idea – and literally puts their lives on the line. It’s sort of like The Breakfast Club, but with more blood and a lot of CGI worms.
Speaking of the cast, let’s just take a moment to appreciate the wealth of 90s talent. I mean, Josh Hartnett is in his prime here, playing Zeke – that cool, too-old-to-be-in-high-school guy who sells, well, basically speed to his classmates out of his muscle car. Sure, that might not make him the most morally upright character ever, but tell me you didn’t want to be his friend when you were sixteen. He had charisma oozing out of every weirdly floppy haircut he sported.
And then there’s Elijah Wood as Casey, the perpetually terrified nerd who, let’s be real, sort of just stumbles around in horror Watch-Cute-Elijah-Gape-At-Things fashion until he saves the day. Because of course he does; he’s practically destined to save things (see: The Lord of the Rings… which, btw, would come out just three years after The Faculty).
Other notable faces include a young Jordana Brewster, playing Delilah, the queen bee cheerleader with attitude, and Clea DuVall as Stokely, the resident goth who’s actually into sci-fi, because, duh, foreshadowing. And let’s not forget the absolute icon, Salma Hayek, as Nurse Rosa Harper. Sadly, she’s only in a handful of scenes, but those few moments are enough to bring a little something extra to the movie – plus, watching her do anything feels like a small gift from the film gods.
But here’s something else I couldn’t stop thinking about: a true fun fact that ties back to the film’s alien invasion plot. Did you know that the concept of alien fungi that could mind-control humans isn’t entirely a fantasy? There’s actually a fungus called Ophiocordyceps that infects ants and then takes control of their bodies, making them climb up tall plants before killing them and popping out spores to infect others. How freaky is that? It’s like The Faculty but with more exoskeletons. (Here’s the source if you want more nightmare fuel: https://www.britannica.com/science/zombie-ant-fungus)
The special effects deserve their own moment of reflection. Sure, it’s been over two decades since the movie came out, so some of the CGI looks a bit… how do I put this… dated. But honestly, that adds to that nostalgic charm, at least for me. Those wormy things crawling under people’s skin still managed to make me squirm a few times, even with that, “hey, this was probably cutting-edge in ’98,” mentality. Plus, they totally committed to the body horror, a must for sci-fi horror flicks. Thank you, Robert Rodriguez, for the consistent gross-outs.
Lastly, I can’t skip over the film’s final, somewhat cheeseball showdown. It’s what every B-movie should shoot for – dramatic glares, seemingly impossible saves, a bit of a twist, and explosion sound effects that oddly, you can almost feel through your TV speakers. It’s predictable in some ways, but in others, it’s that exciting, satisfying ending you didn’t realize you needed – like a perfectly timed slider from your favorite fast-food joint.
All in all, watching The Faculty for the first time was like unearthing an odd, forgotten gem (or really, more of a guilty pleasure keepsake). It’s campy, clever in its moments, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is exactly the kind of 90s horror-thriller I wasn’t aware I was craving. If you haven’t seen it – or if it’s been gathering dust on your “I’ll watch it eventually” list – I say grab some popcorn, sit back, and embrace all the bonkers sci-fi goodness it offers. You won’t be disappointed… or maybe you’ll just be confused, but hey, that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?
Catch you tomorrow!
Roger
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