The Faculty is a science fiction horror-thriller directed by Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City) and written by Kevin Williamson, who rose to prominence with his razor-sharp scripts for Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Released on December 25, 1998, the film offers a mix of 90s teen angst and paranoia, with a strong nod to classic alien-invasion stories like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956/1978) and The Thing (1982).
The movie is set in Herrington High, a typical suburban American school filled with stereotypes: the nerd, the jock, the outcast, the cheerleader, and the rebel. These archetypes serve as the primary protagonists when the schoolโs faculty begins exhibiting strange and unsettling behavior.
Elijah Wood stars as Casey Connor, the shy and awkward school photographer who first notices something is off. When Casey finds an unidentified organism on the school football field, he and Delilah (Jordana Brewster), the schoolโs snarky, popular newspaper editor, witness their teachers acting strangely in private. It becomes clear that parasitic aliens are infecting the faculty and are planning to spread their control across the town.
The group of unlikely allies, consisting of Casey, Delilah, the delinquent Zeke (Josh Hartnett), goth outsider Stokely (Clea DuVall), star quarterback Stan (Shawn Hatosy), and new girl Marybeth (Laura Harris), join forces to uncover the truth. They must fight to survive, battling both the alien threat and their own personal conflicts.
The students ultimately discover that the alien parasite requires water to thrive and reproduce, which becomes an important weakness. Their final confrontation with the parasite queen tests their courage, ingenuity, and loyalty to one another. Without giving away too many spoilers (for those who havenโt seen it), the film ends with a resolution that is both tense and darkly satisfying.
Upon its release, The Faculty received mixed reviews. Critics praised the cast, direction, and witty script but found the film derivative of earlier classics. Over time, however, it has gained a cult following, with fans appreciating its self-aware humor, nostalgic charm, and the way it captures the essence of late-90s genre filmmaking.