F (2010)

Directed by Johannes Roberts. Starring David Schofield, Ruth Gemmell, Eliza Bennett, Finlay Robertson, Juliet Aubrey, Tom Mannion, Jamie Kenna. [R]

A depressed, overworked teacher (Schofield), his sullen and disrespectful daughter (Bennett), the coldly bureaucratic headmistress (Gemmell), and others find themselves trapped in a school building after dark, under attack by menacing youths in hoodies. What motivates the silent, faceless killers? Are they delinquent ruffians who’ve finally snapped under the pressure of Britain’s education system? Are they mere symbols of the fed-up lower-class and disenfranchised? They don’t seem to have a specific target in mind, such as Schofield, who was assaulted in his classroom by a student during the prologue for giving the kid a failing grade (hence the title) instead of a more diplomatic mark within school policy (“RS”, for “resubmission”). The muddled message/meaning will frustrate some—no clear answers are given by the end—while others may be left wanting for a quicker pace and bolder character details. I didn’t mind the speed, as it allowed for moments of eerie stillness and suspense, and I appreciated the internalized feelings of frustration, doubt and fear, but I wished the camerawork had withdrawn and stabilized more often; as is, it’s hard to get a good sense of the geography of the school rooms and corridors, and what each terrorized victim can see or is trying to do as the savages close in. For its chilly mood and terse telling, however, horror-thriller junkies will probably enjoy it despite the flaws. Also known as The Expelled.

55/100