The film works as a launchpad for future stars. Elijah Wood delivers a brilliantly fragile performance as the put-upon hero Casey. Josh Hartnett, in one of his earliest roles, plays the cynical drug-dealer Zeke with a dangerous, leather-jacket cool that practically steals the movie. The film also features Jordana Brewster in her film debut, Clea DuVall as the iconic goth queen Stokely, and even Usher Raymond in a supporting role as the cool kid Gabe.
Pairing experienced faculty with early- and mid-career academics to foster growth, career progression, and job satisfaction.
The film also flips traditional high school power dynamics on their head. The very traits that make these students outcasts—Zeke’s criminality, Stokes’s cynicism, and Casey’s paranoia—become the exact survival skills required to fight back. In The Faculty , the maladjusted teens are the only ones sane enough to recognize that the system is broken. Practical Effects and the Infamous Drug Test
Marybeth Louise Hutchinson (Laura Harris), a sweet southern transplant looking to fit into a school that feels entirely alien to her. the faculty
Stan Rosado (Shawn Hatosy) is the star quarterback who abruptly quits the football team because he wants to focus on his academics and escape the narrow identity forced upon him.
The unique tone of The Faculty belongs to the distinct creative DNA of its writer and director. Kevin Williamson was the reigning king of teen horror, having already written Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer . His signature style—witty, hyper-articulate teenagers who are deeply aware of pop culture tropes—is on full display.
Delivering specialized knowledge and fostering critical thinking, guiding students from foundational understanding to professional competence. The film works as a launchpad for future stars
A recent meta-analysis examining 128 effect sizes from 36 previous studies found that faculty-student relationships are strongly associated with key academic outcomes, including persistence in school and grade point average. For first-generation college students, faculty mentoring has been shown to significantly influence persistence, retention, and academic performance.
Zeke (Josh Hartnett), a brilliant but cynical drug dealer repeating his senior year.
Beyond the classroom, informal interactions between faculty and students—office hours, research collaborations, and even casual conversations—play a vital role in fostering a sense of belonging and engagement. Studies indicate that students who establish meaningful relationships with faculty are more likely to feel connected to their institution and develop the self-confidence necessary for academic success. The film also features Jordana Brewster in her
The story follows a group of high school students who discover that their teachers are being replaced by extraterrestrial parasites. The students must overcome their social differences to fight back and save their town.
The film also explores the theme of identity, as the characters struggle to come to terms with who they are and what it means to be human. This theme is particularly evident in the film's portrayal of the alien duplicates, who are indistinguishable from their human counterparts but lack a sense of self or individuality.
As director Ryan Coogler ( Black Panther ) recently stated, he cited The Faculty as a direct inspiration for his film Sinners , praising how it mashed up sci-fi and high school drama in such a “confusing mishmash”. Robert Rodriguez himself has noted that the film has developed a passionate “following over the years,” something he didn't expect at the time of its release.
Understanding the multifaceted role of the faculty is essential to appreciating how universities function, innovate, and contribute to society. The Diverse Roles of Faculty Members