The Faculty (1998)

 

Looking for a fun little alien invasion film that very 90s yet also pretty timeless? Then look no further than this unexpectedly entertaining outing by Robert Rodriguez. You know, the man who also gave the world 'El Mariachi/Desperado', 'From Dusk till Dawn' and a ton of other entertaining stuff that will always have fun and occasional gore.

This one also boasts a pretty impressive cast, with a lot of recognisable character actors starring as the members of the faculty in the title.

In an Ohio high school, things are happening: teachers are gradually becoming almost completely different people and even some of the students are radically changing the way they behave. Several outsiders (yet all for different reasons) pick up on this and eventually come together to try and figure out what is happening. Things pick up when they discover the body of an elderly teacher, yet when they notify the authorities, it seems as though it was all a misunderstanding.

Yes, the clasic trope of kids knowing something is wrong and adults casually ignoring the warning signs.

Through some deduction (and the help of one of the kids who is an avid science fiction addict), they piece together that their school is being taken over by aliens. They also find out that one of the kids' homebrewn drugs actually kill the creatures, as they depend on water and the drug dries them out. 

Shenanigans ensue, yet who is the actual originator of the invasion? 

Put like this, it seems as though every cliché in the book is present. And you know what? It is, as Rodriguez lovingly winks and nods at a great many science fiction stories throughout. It never feels trite or dull and the pacing is so well done, the entire story whizzes by. There's also a lot of humour throughout and the teenagers are not actively annoying. Heck, even the obnoxious ones have some character twist along the way. 

You can also tell that the suporting cast is having a blast. You will always enjoy Robert Patrick being gleefully creepy and menacing and Piper Laurie is maybe the scariest teacher ever. 

The special effects are a decent mix of practical and CG and even though the CG doesn't always hold up, it is still good enough to give a pass. Add to that some well-balanced tension and you get a very underrated popcorn film that is sure to appeal to a lot of people. This goes double if you can enjoy alien invasion stories. Great little film!