The Faculty Guide

His solution to the alien problem is a quintessential Gen X/Millennial shrug of nihilistic pragmatism: drugs. The film’s most famous plot point—testing who is human by having them snort caffeine-laced "speed"—is both hilarious and profound. The alien’s biology can’t handle the chaotic, unpredictable rush of human neurochemistry. To be human, the film argues, is to be chemically imbalanced. To be calm, focused, and agreeable is to be the monster.

Williamson, the poet of post-modern teen angst, understood the fundamental lie of the high school movie: that the jock, the geek, and the punk can unite against a common enemy. In The Faculty , they try. And they fail. Repeatedly. Their alliances are brittle, shattered instantly by mistrust and the alien’s ability to mimic their friends. The film’s genius is that the monster doesn't need to be smart. The teenagers' own pre-existing social paranoia does the work for it. Elijah Wood’s Casey Connor is the secret weapon. He’s not the brave quarterback or the cynical rebel. He’s the photographer—the observer. In a world of performers, the observer is the most dangerous person to a hive mind. Casey’s defining trait isn't courage; it’s paranoia. He’s the kid who notices the water tastes wrong, who sees the coach’s eye twitch, who trusts no one because he’s learned that trusting people in high school is how you get hurt. The Faculty

Consider the victims. The football coach becomes a smiling automaton. The stern principal becomes eerily pleasant. The bullied kid, once a target, now walks with a vacant grin. The horror isn't in the gore (though Rodriguez delivers plenty). The horror is in the improvement . The alien takeover makes the school run better. There’s no bullying, no cliques, no tears. It’s a fascist’s dream of educational reform. His solution to the alien problem is a