10 Sci-Fi Movies One Step From Perfection
8. The Faculty Is Just Too Predictable
Desperado director Robert Rodriguez’s nineties remix
of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a far better film than it has any right to
be, taking a script by Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson and a game cast of
young stars ranging from 30 Days of Night’s Josh Hartnett to future Fast and Furious
star Jordana Brewster to create a wilder, funnier twist on the classic allegorical
tale. However, there is an underlying issue which holds the film back from full
blown greatness, and it’s not actually the corny tone which critics took issue
with upon the film’s release.
No, the campy schlockiness is one of the film’s strong suits upon reappraisal. Over-the-top lines like Hartnett’s resigned “alright f**k this, I’m outta here” on seeing his teacher pick up her own disembodied head give the film a bizarre charm, and the cheesiness is essential to its success. But the mystery central to the film’s plot—which one of the students is an alien interloper?—is shockingly predictable, with “the new kid” being both the most obvious answer and the correct one, thus sapping the story of any clever twist or surprising reveal.