The Faculty

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The Faculty

R

1998

1h 44m

Horror

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

57%

Tomatometer

65 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

To the students at Harrington High, the principal and her posse of teachers have always been a little odd, but lately they've been behaving positively alien. Controlled by otherworldly parasites, the faculty try to infect students one by one. Cheerleader Delilah (Jordana Brewster), football player Stan (Shawn Hatosy), drug dealer Zeke (Josh Hartnett) and new girl Marybeth (Laura Harris) team up with some of their other classmates to fight back against the invaders.

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Critics Consensus

Rip-off of other sci-fi thrillers.

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Sep 7, 2011

C+

Some of this is fun in a low-grade Hellraiser sort of way, but it reduces the script’s mildest ambitions to hamburger. In The Faculty, it’s Kevin Williamson’s talent that turns into a pod of itself.

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Nigel Floyd

Time Out

Jan 26, 2006

This smart, involving sci-fi picture, set in an Ohio high school, pays homage to several genre faves, notably Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing.

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Peter Matthews

Sight & Sound

Mar 3, 2002

The Faculty consistently draws attention to its own ill-joined cracks and seams.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Jul 21, 2026

1/4

...compelling subject matter that’s employed to progressively tedious and interminable effect by Rodriguez...

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Brian Orndorf

Blu-ray.com

Jan 30, 2025

C

A slam-dunk premise is left dangling by a limited cast and general sluggishness from the usually excitable helmer, who never gets the feature up to speed as a chiller or thriller.

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Josh Goller

Spectrum Culture

Jan 11, 2024

In nearly every aspect, The Faculty acts as collage. Admittedly, there are virtually no new ideas here, but rather homages to forebears, direct references to contemporary influences and modernization of classic sci-fi tropes.

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Robert P

@Superbad 1 day ago

Frankly, I loved this movie but have to give it a *3* star Review!

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J H

@UpstateNYThriller Aug 3, 2026

7.6/10 High School. alien, Science fiction Good late 90s creepy Alien replacement movie Takes notes from Invasion of the body snatchers Lots of famous people pre big break

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Chris S

@Janomi Jul 28, 2026

The Faculty is good because the high-school alien-invasion premise is such a fun teen-horror hook. Teachers being taken over by aliens turns normal authority figures into monsters, and the movie has a very specific late-’90s identity. The young cast fits the material well. Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Clea DuVall, Jordana Brewster, Shawn Hatosy, Laura Harris, and Usher each bring a clear type to the group, which helps the paranoia move quickly. The adult cast is just as fun, with Robert Patrick, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, Bebe Neuwirth, Jon Stewart, and Salma Hayek making the faculty side memorable. The movie feels like Invasion of the Body Snatchers filtered through a teen comedy, and that blend makes it rewatchable. The final reveal is not as strong as the setup, but The Faculty is energetic, stylish, and a solid piece of late-’90s sci-fi horror.

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Landon J

@Minxsykitty Jul 25, 2026

Excellent example of the kind of "fun" 2000's feel that can be really hard to find. This movie made me feel like I was a teenager again haha. Great pace and progression, ending, effects, and performances. Great romp for a Friday night with the guys.

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Kristofer K

@kbkaizer May 13, 2026

💯 believable? Probably not, but this Breakfast Club meets teen alien concept will take you on a fun ride like most Rodriguez movies, deserving of its cult following.

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Craig B

@Boundsy Apr 9, 2026

Great movie from Robert Rodriguez

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Robert Rodriguez

Director

Jordana Brewster

Delilah Profitt

Clea Duvall

Stokely "Stokes" Mitchell

Laura Harris

Marybeth Louise Hutchinson

Josh Hartnett

Zeke Tyler

Shawn Hatosy

Stan Rosado

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Synopsis

To the students at Harrington High, the principal and her posse of teachers have always been a little odd, but lately they've been behaving positively alien. Controlled by otherworldly parasites, the faculty try to infect students one by one. Cheerleader Delilah (Jordana Brewster), football player Stan (Shawn Hatosy), drug dealer Zeke (Josh Hartnett) and new girl Marybeth (Laura Harris) team up with some of their other classmates to fight back against the invaders.

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Producer: Elizabeth Avellan, Robert Rodriguez
Screenwriter: David Wechter, Bruce Kimmel, Kevin Williamson
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Dimension Films
Rating: R (Some Nudity|Drug Use|Strong Language|Violence/Gore)
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 12, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.1M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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