The Faculty

Herrington High School in Ohio has the usual groups of disaffected youths – the jock, the goth, the geek, the prom-queen, the drop out etc. However they are not the only ones acting out of the ordinary – the teaching staff all seem to be acting out of the ordinary – drinking water, acting sinister. Geeky Casey has the idea that the staff have been infected, taken over by aliens using their bodies as hosts. Casey's theory spreads to a group of students who decide to take a stand.

Oh my God – an enjoyable and quite clever teen movie! Something must be wrong! The plot is basically a teen twist on The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but is filled with clever references and jokes related to sci-fi. This makes it stand out from other teen movies in that it cleverly plays with the usual stereotypes and makes them feel fresh. The group itself is close to the usual group that learns to get along and accept each other (a la Breakfast Club) – except here they get along through drugs and the battle against aliens!

The director is better known for his big OTT action stuff but here he does a good job with a slow build up and a real feeling of paranoia. Of course it's not as good as the actual Body Snatchers but it still has a real good feeling of fear and tension. The effects are good but Rodriguez uses them sparingly for the most part helping the mood of uncertainty and fear.

The cast are all good. The teens play the stereotypes well but they are outshone by the adults who all get to ham it up in sinister roles. Many of the adults are wasted in minor roles – Hayek for one is barely in it, and MacDonald deserves more than a few minutes. Patrick is very good considering that it could have easily been his T2 role again – running in that distinctive way etc, but he is suitably sinister. Janssen is also good – transforming from a shy flower into her usual vamp. Cameos from Usher, Summer Phoenix and a seemingly pointless role for Harry Knowles (he's been bought!) don't spoil this.

Overall as a sci-fi horror it's pretty good if not great – there are better films around. But as a teen movie it is head and shoulders above the rest of this rather sorry genre and has enough tension, drama and references to be very enjoyable.

This is one of those films that you will love if you enjoy sci fi films. It is a satire of one of the best there is out there. Satires are only appreciated by a certain audience. If you didn't like "Heathers", "Scream" or "Shaun of the Dead", then don't bother watching this unless sci-fi comedies is your thing. This isn't just a comedy, it is shocking and has great twists and thrills along the ride. At times it is down right scary. Even sexy (nudity)! It is all around entertaining with some pretty good acting. My personal favorite is the couple that is always fighting, watch out for them! If you loved at least one of the FOUR film versions of "Invasion of The Body Snatchers" then you will truly enjoy the satire of this film, and how much it truly honors previous classics in the way that "Scream" did. Now some say this film is for Teenagers who don't know any better than to think this is a great sci-fi film, but the biggest fan of this film that I know is my 63 year old mother, and I am surely not a teenager anymore.

This film is a classic, and yes, it does feature teenagers as the main cast (not the actors.) But the adult characters make a great performance, and even Jon Stewart is pretty entertaining as the science teacher.

One film that you should stay for the cast credits just for Jon's appearance!

Students suspect that their teachers are aliens after bizarre occurrences.

This is very much a film of the 1990s, especially the second half. That same teen horror subgenre that "Scream" mastered and "Disturbing Behavior" did well. Get a mix of teen idols, add a soundtrack, and boom, you have a film. This is no exception, with some of the biggest names of the time on the screen (now, about fifteen years later, it is interesting to see who is big and who is forgotten).

As far as being a "body snatcher" movie, it is pretty good. It is obviously aware of its past, as it overtly makes reference. But it also tries to steer clear of being a copy. Some references to past films are over the top, such as naming a character Edward Furlong. Really? Although not one of Robert Rodriguez's best films, it is still a nice trip down nostalgia lane. And it is probably not his worst (it may be time to stop with the "Spy Kids" and "Machete" sequels).

I remember first seeing this movie when I was young and I really liked it. I watched it again last night and nothing has changed. The idea is a fresh new twist on a common story and it has a great cast. Probably the best cast of any sci-fi horror that comes to mind.Its entertaining but not that scary.

This movie is about a group of students that attend high school. Everything goes along as normal until one day they start noticing their teachers acting very strange. After witnessing the teachers attack another teacher they reason the teachers have been taken over by aliens and the students are next.

This movie was actually pretty good even the monster that looked pretty cheesy didn't take anything away from this. Definitely a fun movie and entertaining watch.

Robert Rodriguez's spirited sci-fi/horror hybrid is one for the books, even if solely for rekindling the 'alien invasion' genre during the '90s. Taken over by alien parasites, this time it's high school teachers who can't be trusted anymore with a small group of students – amongst them soon-to-be famous faces of Josh Hartnett and Elijah Wood – discovering the terrifying truth. Kevin Williamson splendidly has his way with stereotypical teenagers in a clever script stuffed with titillating genre references. All performances are outstanding - particularly Robert Patrick eats up every scene he's in - and the K.N.B. Effects Group delivers some of their best work, mixing CGI with traditional monster mayhem. Even with its plot-twists revealed after a first time viewing, this one's worth revisiting.