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Student Body

2022, Horror/Mystery & thriller, 1h 28m

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Student body photos.

When brilliant Jane Shipley's math teacher oversteps his bounds, an apathetic high school administration forces Jane and her childhood best friend to take matters into their own hands, inciting dangerous and deadly consequences.

Genre: Horror, Mystery & thriller

Original Language: English

Director: Lee Ann Kurr

Producer: Lee Ann Kurr , Sandra Leviton , Rachel Liu

Writer: Lee Ann Kurr

Release Date (Theaters): Feb 8, 2022 limited

Release Date (Streaming): Feb 8, 2022

Runtime: 1h 28m

Distributor: 1091

Production Co: Under The Stairs Entertainment, Just Bridge Entertainment, Hyperbolic Media

Cast & Crew

Montse Hernandez

Jane Shipley

Christian Camargo

Mr. Aunspach

Cheyenne Haynes

Merritt Sinclair

Anthony Keyvan

Harley Quinn Smith

Nadia Parker

Austin Zajur

Eric French

Suehyla El-Attar Young

Ms. Rakowski

Lee Ann Kurr

Screenwriter

Sandra Leviton

Russell Boast

Executive Producer

James Andrew Felts

Jason Merrin

Luka Bazeli

Cinematographer

Shiran Amir

Film Editor

Alex Liberatore

Original Music

Shane Meador

Production Design

Christi Whiteley

Set Decoration

Lauren Oppelt

Costume Designer

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Screen Rant

Student body review: quirky horror film starts strong but can’t finish.

The scariest part of Student Body is patriarchy and gaslighting, not getting hit in the head with a sledgehammer by the school's mascot.

Student Body has its moments, but is ultimately a missable horror movie. The performances are what one might expect from a young cast and writer-director Lee Ann Kurr ( Lindsey Luff: Remind Me ) does little to subvert the genre. The antagonist is certainly menacing, but there are almost no jump scares and the scares that do populate the movie are nothing to write home about. While parts of Student Body are both socially contemporary and well-executed, it's the rest of the movie that doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain.

When Jane Shipley (Montse Hernandez) is the only one in her class to pass Mr. Aunspach’s (Christian Caramago) nearly impossible test, her classmate & childhood friend Merrit Sinclair (Cheyenne Hayes), comes up with a way to get the rest of the class a retake. Merrit isn’t alone either, soccer star Nadia Parker (Harley Quinn Smith) has had enough of the guys at school. Not only is Nadia’s playing career at stake due to her grade on Mr. Aunspach’s test, but the school mascot Brody (Ty Trumbo), makes it a point to shove her around and call her inappropriate names after matches. Blindly taking one for the team, Jane approaches Mr. Aunspach and submits her case for the retake. His response borders on violence, prompting Jane and Merrit to approach the principal and he is as arrogant as he is unhelpful. That is, until Merrit convinces him that firing Mr. Aunspach is the only way to keep her family’s money coming into the prestigious and pricey school. In the immediate aftermath of the teacher's dismissal, Jane and all her friends are locked inside the school with a sledgehammer-wielding mascot bent on murder. Is it the bully who regularly dawns the mascot? The scorned teacher? Or the principal being blackmailed?

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Student Body is best when it's looking down on toxic masculinity. The relationship the young women have with men is both terrifying and relevant. Two scenes, in particular, illustrate these horrors. When Mr. Aunspach explodes at the idea of a retake he does everything but physically harm Jane. He grabs her things, throws them on the floor, unleashes a verbal tirade, and calls every student except her worthless. His behavior is just wild enough to frighten a teenage girl and just legal enough to not break any real law. In the scene where the principal does not believe that any of this warrants discipline on the teacher's part, he points out that, not only did Mr. Aunspach act within the school's guidelines, but he was doing her a favor.

Student Body takes great care to create a terrifyingly accurate environment that is all too realistic... for about 25 minutes. The rest of the film is by-the-numbers at best and slapstick at worst. There is a love story with Nadia that rings true but ends before it can even begin and an unrequited love story with Merrit that over-explains her character traits. And while Jane and Mr. Aunspach are compelling characters, the acting is not noteworthy. The evil school mascot is certainly menacing and a visually engaging villain but does not get enough screen time to cause true havoc.

Student Body underwhelms most of the time but the premise is reliably solid. Trapped inside grade school with the threat of the people in power not believing a word you say is a nightmare unto itself, and with a killer on the loose, the stakes are considerably higher. Granted, this film does not have the bones of a classic phycological thriller, but Student Body is better with less gore and more thought. Ultimately, it's a great premise that offers little else, sidestepping serious issues that devolve into a laughable slasher film. Not dissimilar from the real world, the scariest part of Student Body is patriarchy and gaslighting, not getting hit in the head with a sledgehammer by the school's mascot.

Next: Blacklight Review: Liam Neeson's Latest Action Thriller Is Nothing Remarkable

Student Body is available digitally on February 8. The film is 88 minutes long and is not rated.

STUDENT BODY: A Coming Of Age Film With A Dash Of Horror

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Mascots are terrifying, especially the more human the costume. Coming face-to-face with a being that seemingly has set up residency in the uncanny valley can be horrible to witness for anyone. So it makes sense that “Anvil Al,” the villain of the 2022 film Student Body, commands your attention on screen. Wielding a hammer and a fixed smile, Anvil Al is ready for his close up as he pursues a group of students around the halls of their onscreen high school.

High schools are no stranger to being the setting for horror, but the 2022 film Student Body attempts to innovate and explore the possibilities. Written, directed, and co-produced by Lee Ann Kurr (her feature film debut), Student Body is a fun, but uneven slasher film. Light on scares, the film seems to fit better as a coming of age story for the protagonist Jane Shipley ( Montse Hernandez ). Like many cinematic final girls, Student Body is a story of a young woman embracing her agency to stand up for herself and survive. The film also attempts to interrogate the system that fails to protect Jane and students like her.

Friends to the End

Unfortunately for a genre where characterization matters, the audience is not given much to hold on to. Student Bodies focuses on a group of friends trying to survive a masked killer, centering on the friendship of Jane Shipley and her frenemy Merritt Sinclair ( Cheyenne Haynes ) . The rest of the friend group is made up of Ellis ( Anthony Keyvan ), Nadia ( Harley Quinn Smith ), and Eric ( Austin Zajur ). While Keyvan , Smith , and Zajur all seem like competent actors, their characters unfortunately function mostly as horror movie stock characters, leaving the most interesting character work to Hernandez and Haynes .

STUDENT BODY: A Coming Of Age Film With A Dash Of Horror

Most slasher films take one of two paths: memorable and sympathetic characters that the audience cares for when they die, or uninteresting stock characters who the audience is supposed to hate and wants to see die in creative ways. Student Body has the beginning of interesting character arcs and development, but ultimately there is no time or chance to really dive into development.

With the focus on the uneven power dynamics of Jane and Merritt, the audience is deprived of the opportunity to really understand the wants of Ellis, Nadia, and Eric, and how their personal histories might affect friend group cohesion. Jane appears to be the quiet and meek one, but we never really get a sense of her place, other than being under the thumb of Merritt. The film also introduces some interesting side characters, but they are relegated to being background red herrings.

Student Safety

In the end, the lack of deeper characters is because the film is a coming-of-age drama wearing whodunit -slasher film clothing. I think that the two genres are perfect for each other (see 2022’s Bodies Bodies Bodies as an example), but Lee Ann Kurr could go further and deeper. Horror often provides an opportunity for social commentary, and Student Body provides a chance to dive into school safety and the protection of student lives. When Mr. Aunspach ( Christian Camaergo ) menaces his students and physically accosts Jane, the school administration is reluctant to discipline him until Merritt threatens to leverage family connections and draw bad publicity, showing the value of status quo versus actual student care.

Lee Ann Kurr also reflects this in the physical buildings. The school turns into a fortress overnight, with shatterproof windows and metal gates, likely designed with an event like an active shooter in mind. Of course, the friend group messes with the system, allowing them to break inside to party (inevitably being trapped, unable to escape from the menacing Anvil Al). Instead of providing students actual safety from potential harm, or working to prevent those events from happening in the first place, the school has developed a quick-fix solution that can only react. Jane eventually has to rescue herself, taking on Anvil Al by herself, as well as facing down Merritt and her toxic manipulation, bringing the film to a bloody conclusion.

Anywhere Can Be Terrifying

A point in Student Body ’s favor is that the film looks gorgeous. A special shout out to Luka Bazeli the cinematographer, who is capturing an ethereal and haunting look. As the friend group stumbles around the school in shock and fear, they are cast in hazy blues, reds, and purples, unlocking vast emptiness while insinuating that anything could be lurking in the shadows. The high school feels both modern and ancient, a mixture of new and old money. It reminds the audience how much of horror is atmospheric, that a mundane location like a high school can be crawling with nightmares.

Student Body is not a perfect film, but I think that it will serve as a capsule to recognize future artists. I want to see what Lee Ann Kurr will take from working on this film, and apply it to her next venture, to see her grow and mature into a storyteller. While Student Body might not scare the average horror fan, I believe it is worth a watch, and am glad to have had the opportunity to see it. At the very least, it’s a good reminder of the untapped potential of how much sheer terror mascots like Anvil Al can contain.

Have you seen Student Body ? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Student Body was released on February 8, 2022!

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Garrett (They/Them) loves film, theatre, and believes a public library is the soul of a community. Garrett graduated from Pacific University with a B.A. in Anthropology, with minors in Theatre, and Gender and Sexuality Studies. They perform and create art in Portland, Oregon.

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Student Body Lands as a Stylish Slasher - But Plays Out Predictably

While Student Body's script is simplistic, the movie's direction and its cast elevate what otherwise would have been a generic horror film.

Student Body is a love letter to the slasher genre, effectively recreating the tone of horror films from decades past for a modern audience. While Student Body is one-note in terms of its characters and story, the direction and performances do their best to elevate its basic plot.

Student Body focuses on Jane (Montse Hernandez), a quiet and brilliant student at a prestigious prep school, struggling to make time for friendships. However, her longtime best friend Merritt (Cheyenne Haynes) has been growing increasingly distant from her. Now Merritt is the effective leader of a group of "cool kids" including the activist-minded Ellis (Anthony Keyvan), aggressive soccer player Nadia (Harley Quinn Smith), and the goofy French (Austin Zajur). Merritt pressures Jane into targeting their strict and unforgiving teacher, Mr. Aunspach (Christian Camargo). But Jane's celebratory night with the group quickly takes a brutal turn when someone arrives on the scene with murderous intent.

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Directed and written by Lee Ann Kurr, Student Body benefits from Kurr's confident visuals. The film has style to spare, especially once the film ups its danger. The film's cast is game, finding clever ways to infuse their basic horror characters with a mix of classic horror energy while keeping them firmly grounded in the present-day. At the end of the day, the characters are firmly locked into the genre conventions that define them. Student Body isn't necessarily a new take on the genre as much as it is a modern incarnation. Kurr's strong direction can only elevate a by-the-numbers story so much -- which never necessarily feels surprising.

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Student Body 's writing takes bigger swings with Jane, Merritt, and Mr. Aunspach. During Student Body 's first act, all three performers infuse their character-centric sequences with unique touches that benefit the film. Although Herandez and Haynes' chemistry could have been expanded upon, their pairing is strong. Camargo's role as the uncompromising but deceptively uncomplicated Aunspach works well. Camargo is full of bizarrely compelling menace even when just teaching a class, making him a unique antagonist.

Student Body accomplishes most of what it's trying to be -- a simple, straightforward teen-centric slasher flick. But there are flashes of more interesting filmmaking impulses -- the drama at the heart of Jane and Merritt's broken friendship, the stylish camera movement and lighting finding clever ways to set up jump scares -- that suggest this film could have been so much more. Much like Aunspach's concern with Jane wasting her potential in the film's narrative, Student Body spends too much time giving lip service to the trappings of the genre to really stand out. But there's still enough solid craft on display for horror fans to appreciate. Hopefully, Student Body paves the way for a more experimental horror experience from Kurr in the future.

Student Body premieres on Digital and on-demand platforms on Feb. 8.

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Student Body

Where to Watch

Christian Camargo (Mr. Aunspach) Montse Hernandez (Jane Shipley) Cheyenne Haynes (Merritt Sinclair) Anthony Keyvan (Ellis Azad) Harley Quinn Smith (Nadia Parker) Austin Zajur (Eric French) Ty Trumbo (Brody) Suehyla El-Attar Young (Ms. Rakowski) Maurice Hall (Principal Lawson) Marcel Sobczak (Allendale student)

Lee Ann Kurr

High-school student Jane Shipley seeks to mend her splintering relationship with childhood best friend Merritt and fit in with her rebellious peers. When Jane's math teacher oversteps his bounds, an apathetic high-school administration forces Jane and Merritt to take matters into their own hands, driving their relationship into further turmoil and inciting deadly consequences.

Recommendations

1091 Pictures

Summary A distressing incident compels childhood best friends Jane and Merritt to take action against their high school math teacher, driving their splintered relationship into further turmoil and provoking deadly consequences.

Directed By : Lee Ann Kurr

Written By : Lee Ann Kurr

Where to Watch

Christian Camargo

Mr. aunspach.

Montse Hernandez

Jane shipley.

Cheyenne Haynes

Merritt sinclair, anthony keyvan.

Harley Quinn Smith

Nadia parker, austin zajur, eric french, suehyla el-attar young, ms. rakowski, maurice hall, principal lawson, marcel sobczak, allendale student, critic reviews.

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Student Body is an Impressive Introduction to Lee Ann Kurr’s Work [Review]

When you’re a teenager, school is the center of the universe. It’s also frequently a pretty frightening, confusing and emotionally draining place to be. It’s unsurprising, then, that plenty of slashers – from Scream to Tragedy Girls – set the action in the hallways, at least in part. Student Body, the debut feature from writer-director Lee Ann Kurr, takes that idea to its natural conclusion by stranding a bunch of kids in school and leaving them at the mercy of a masked, bloodthirsty killer (in a nod to Happy Death Day, the chosen costume is the school mascot, the Anvil, an unlikely choice that nonetheless involves a cool weapon). If the film never quite reaches the heights of its forebears, Kurr at least makes a compelling case for more school-based horror going forward.

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Review: ‘student body’ is a truly modern school slasher movie.

The slasher sub-genre may very well be one of the most familiar of any within the realm of horror movies. Plenty of people are still under the assumption that horror is mostly men in hockey masks wielding chainsaws. Which was a Simpsons gag and not related to anything from the Friday The 13th franchise. But I digress. Slashers are familiar yet tend to change with the times. Some of the most common settings have been old, dark houses, summer camps, and significantly: schools. Be it colleges, academies, colleges or public schools, they have been a constant staple of slasher films if not for horror as a whole for decades. But academia has changed over the years as have the movies, and most evident with the latest tale of school slaughter that is Student Body

The story follows Jane Shipley (Montse Hernandez, Colony ) is a star student at an elite academy but finds herself drifting apart from her childhood friend Merritt Sinclair (Cheyenne Haynes, Camping ) and their clique. But when Jane’s intense and conservative math teacher Mr. Aunspach (Christian Camargo, The Hurt Locker ) crosses a line and the principal and administration refuse to help, they decide to reunite and deal with the problem themselves. Leading to Jane, Merritt, and some of their friends breaking into the school. Only to be trapped themselves and stalked by a manic with a sledgehammer and dressed as the team mascot… Now this final exam could mean their lives!

Directed and written by Lee Ann Kurr, Student Body is simultaneously something of a throwback to slasher movies of old (particularly the late 70’s and early 80’s) and modern day teen drama. One thing that should be emphasized that this is not a slasher focused on the violence, but more on drama. The first half of the movie is mostly build-up and foreboding tension as we get a handle on Jane, her friends, and their situation at school. Which does an excellent job in building character for everyone in the clique which include Nadia, Eric, and Ellis played by Harley Quinn Smith, Austin Zajur, and Ellis Azad respectively.

Which is nice to see crew of potential victims built up and defined before they are stalked and assaulted. Each stand out on their own and their relationship to each other defined. As well, Mr. Aunspach creates a tense and looming shadow over Jane and the others with his more grounded and all too real menace as a teacher drunk on power and his own twisted philosophies. Christian Camargo does a hell of a job bringing that level of darkness to the daytime and pre-slaughter scenes.

On the other side, we have our slasher in the form of school mascot Anvil Al, a welder with a big ol’ sledgehammer he uses for smashing. His cartoonishly big chin and dinner plate eyes bely that he is going to track you down and smash your skull to a pulp. Also, there’s just something so creepy about something that genuinely looks like it was made by students being used for murder. Also used as a great segue on the school’s sponsorship from a bullet proof glass manufacturer that has supplied the school to keep it as ‘safe’ as possible, only to lock the students in as potential victims.

Student Body is definitely a more slow-burn slasher than most, so if you’re looking for something kinetic and filled to the brim with gore, this probably isn’t for you. There aren’t any particularly over the top kills in this one, with the focus aiming to add dimension to these characters for tragedy if and when they are killed by the masked assailant. The storyline of Jane navigating friendship and her academia has enough interest to stand on its own, but combined with the slasher turn is plenty of entertainment and drama.

Student Body is available February 8th, 2022 on VOD and Digital.

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“Across the four corners of the American Southwest, there is said to exist an ancient, supernatural evil that preys on the fear of its victims to gain greater power. Now, witnesses lift the veil on the most terrifying encounters with modern-day werewolves ever heard. These stories intertwine legends of upright canids with hellhounds, poltergeists, and even the mythical Skinwalker, promising true terror.”

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Four drag queens are mistakenly booked at a stereotypical biker bar in the desert where they have to combat bigots…and vampires. You read that right. Think, Too Wong Foo at the Titty Twister . Even if you don’t get those references, you will still have a good time.

Before you sashay away from this Tubi offering, here is why you shouldn’t. It’s surprisingly funny and manages to have a few scary moments along the way. It’s a midnight movie at its core and if those bookings were still a thing, Slay would probably have a successful run.

The premise is simple, again, four drag queens played by Trinity the Tuck , Heidi N Closet , Crystal Methyd , and Cara Mell find themselves at a biker bar unaware that an alpha vampire is on the loose in the woods and has already bitten one of the townsfolk. The turned man makes his way to the old roadside saloon and begins turning the patrons into the undead right in the middle of the drag show. The queens, along with the local barflies, barricade themselves inside the bar and must defend themselves against the growing hoard outside.

The contrast between the denim and leather of the bikers, and the ball gowns and Swarovski crystals of the queens, is a sight gag I can appreciate. During the whole ordeal, none of the queens gets out of costume or sheds their drag personas except at the beginning. You forget they have other lives outside of their costumes.

All four of the leading ladies have had their time on Ru Paul’s Drag Race , But Slay is a lot more polished than a Drag Race acting challenge, and the leads elevate the camp when called for and tone it down when necessary. It is a well-balanced scale of comedy and horror.

Trinity the Tuck is primed with one-liners and double entendres which rat-a-tat from her mouth in gleeful succession. It’s not a cringy screenplay so every joke lands naturally with a required beat and professional timing.

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This might be the guiltiest pleasure of the year! It’s hilarious!

Heidi N Closet is surprisingly well cast. It’s not that it’s surprising to see she can act, it’s just most people know her from Drag Race which doesn’t allow much range. Comically she’s on fire. In one scene she flips her hair behind her ear with a large baguette and then uses it as a weapon. The garlic, you see. It’s surprises like that that make this film so charming.

The weaker actor here is Methyd who plays the dimwitted Bella Da Boys . Her creaky performance shaves a little off the rhythm but the other ladies take up her slack so it just becomes part of the chemistry.

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Slay is a delicious recipe with just the right amount of camp, gore, action, and originality. It’s the best horror comedy to come along in a while.

It’s no secret that independent films have to do a lot more for less. When they are this good it’s a reminder that big studios could be doing better.

With movies like Slay , every penny counts and just because the paychecks might be smaller it doesn’t mean the final product has to be. When the talent puts this much effort into a film, they deserve more, even if that recognition comes in the form of a review. Sometimes smaller movies like Slay have hearts too big for an IMAX screen.

And that’s the tea.

You can stream Slay on Tubi right now .

Review: Is There ‘No Way Up’ For This Shark Film?

A flock of birds flies into the jet engine of a commercial airliner making it crash into the ocean with only a handful of survivors tasked with escaping the sinking plane while also enduring depleting oxygen and nasty sharks in No Way Up . But does this low-budget film rise above its shopworn monster trope or sink beneath the weight of its shoestring budget?

First, this film obviously isn’t on the level of another popular survival film, Society of the Snow , but surprisingly it isn’t Sharknado either. You can tell a lot of good direction went into making it and its stars are up for the task. The histrionics are kept at a bare minimum and unfortunately the same can be said about the suspense. That isn’t to say that No Way Up is a limp noodle, there is plenty here to keep you watching until the end, even if the last two minutes is offensive to your suspension of disbelief.

Let’s start with the good . No Way Up has plenty of good acting, especially from its lead S ophie McIntosh who plays Ava, a rich governor’s daughter with a heart of gold. Inside, she is struggling with the memory of her mother’s drowning and is never far from her overprotective older bodyguard Brandon played with nannyish diligence by Colm Meaney . McIntosh doesn’t reduce herself to the size of a B-movie, she is fully committed and gives a strong performance even if the material is trodden.

Another standout is Grace Nettle playing the 12-year-old Rosa who is traveling with her grandparents Hank ( James Caroll Jordan ) and Mardy ( Phyllis Logan ). Nettle doesn’t reduce her character to a delicate tween. She’s scared yes, but she also has some input and pretty good advice about surviving the situation.

Will Attenborough plays the unfiltered Kyle who I imagine was there for comic relief, but the young actor never successfully tempers his meanness with nuance, therefore he just comes across as a die-cut archetypical asshole inserted to complete the diverse ensemble.

Rounding out the cast is Manuel Pacific who plays Danilo the flight attendant who is the mark of Kyle’s homophobic aggressions. That whole interaction feels a bit outdated, but again Attenborough hasn’t fleshed out his character well enough to warrant any.

Continuing on with what is good in the film are the special effects. The plane crash scene, as they always are, is terrifying and realistic. Director Claudio Fäh has spared no expense in that department. You have seen it all before, but here, since you know they are crashing into the Pacific it’s more tense and when the plane hits the water you’ll wonder how they did it.

As for the sharks they are equally impressive. It’s hard to tell if they used live ones. There are no hints of CGI, no uncanny valley to speak of and the fish are genuinely threatening, although they don’t get the screentime you might be expecting.

Now with the bad. No Way Up is a great idea on paper, but the reality is something like this couldn’t happen in real life, especially with a jumbo jet crashing into the Pacific Ocean at such a fast speed. And even though the director has successfully made it seem like it could happen, there are so many factors that just don’t make sense when you think about it. Underwater air pressure is the first to come to mind.

It also lacks a cinematic polish. It has this straight-to-video feel, but the effects are so good that you can’t help but feel the cinematography, especially inside the plane should have been slightly elevated. But I’m being pedantic, No Way Up is a good time.

The ending doesn’t quite live up to the film’s potential and you will be questioning the limits of the human respiratory system, but again, that’s nitpicking.

Overall, No Way Up is a great way to spend an evening watching a survival horror movie with the family. There are some bloody images, but nothing too bad, and the shark scenes can be mildly intense. It is rated R on the low end.

No Way Up might not be the “next great shark” movie, but it is a thrilling drama that rises above the other chum so easily thrown into the waters of Hollywood thanks to the dedication of its stars and believable special effects.

No Way Up is now available to rent on digital platforms.

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Where to watch

Student body.

2022 Directed by Lee Ann Kurr

See you after class.

High school student Jane Shipley seeks to mend her splintering relationship with childhood best friend Merritt, and fit in with her rebellious peers. When Jane's math teacher oversteps his bounds, an apathetic high school administration forces Jane and Merritt to take matters into their own hands, driving their relationship into further turmoil and inciting deadly consequences.

Montse Hernandez Cheyenne Haynes Anthony Keyvan Harley Quinn Smith Austin Zajur Christian Camargo Ty Trumbo Suehyla El-Attar Maurice Hall

Director Director

Lee Ann Kurr

Producers Producers

Lee Ann Kurr Sandra Leviton Rachel Liu

Writer Writer

Editor editor.

Shiran Amir

Cinematography Cinematography

Luka Bazeli

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Russell Boast James Andrew Felts Jason Merrin Ryan Bury

Production Design Production Design

Shane Meador

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Christi Whiteley

Composer Composer

Alex Liberatore

Costume Design Costume Design

Lauren Oppelt

Under The Stairs Entertainment Hyperbolic Media

Releases by Date

Theatrical limited

08 Feb 2022

11 feb 2022, 14 feb 2022, 27 may 2022, releases by country.

Physical 16

Russian Federation

Digital 18+

88 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by EricYvon ★½

No one should aspire to write dialogue like Diablo Cody.

This movie fails as a slasher (offscreen kills), fails as a mystery (obvious killer) and fails as a comedy (note the first sentence).

Review by thedayofthedot ★★★½

Grow a Uterus

Review by Rob Hill ★ 2

WOW this is bad.

Writing so terrible that I can't tell you if any of the actors don't suck. Zero character development. Laughably bad decision making. There isn't even any good gore during the murders.

This is like a student film, if the kids were lame as hell.

Learn from my mistake and skip it.

Review by Zay ★½

Slasher film set in a highschool that spends wayyy to much time fleshing out unlikable characters that I just wanted to see get gutted. Takes about 45 minutes before things get slashery. First half of the film plays out like an episode of Degrassi. The kills are meh. The killer's mascot costume is kinda creepy, especially when he's slowly walking down the hallway with his sledgehammer dragging on the ground.

More gore, likable characters, and less predictability(most obvious antagonist ever smfh) would have elevated this but oh well.

Review by STEVEN ★★

When I sat down and started Student Body , I felt this really exciting vibe, like it was about to fulfill some teen slasher itch in me that's been sorta lacking recently. But then it continued, and the characters were being developed, and the runtime moved on with nothing but drawn out drama surrounding student-teacher discomfort and peer pressure and shit. I think that the production itself looks and sounds pretty damn good, but solid technical work can't do much against poor performances and even worse writing. Perhaps this could've been better if pumped out in the Blumhouse machine. It sure fits their mold.

2022 RANKED

Review by DreamScape40 ★★½

Bit slow. Nothing happens until midway through. Even then the pace was slow. Didn't care for the characters and the actors were annoying. Yeah.. I got nothing positive for this one.

Review by SweeneyTom ★★★

It's a slasher with CHVRCHES on the soundtrack, I'm not allowed to dislike it even if all but one character were entirely clueless to the obvious killer from like the third scene on

Review by Rich Trash🗑️ ★★

Student Body is an underwhelming yet sometimes fun high school slasher. My hopes were a little higher than they should have been for this movie. Then again, I get excited whenever a new movie pops up in the slasher genre that isn't made on a microbudget. I am not saying this has a high budget but ya know, it isn't filmed on an iPhone in someone's basement.

The biggest flaw this movie has is that it focuses too much on character building and the characters aren't exactly the best. Everyone tried but at the end of the day, it was kind of boring. There was enough mayhem near the end of the movie for me to sort of get into it but a lot of time was wasted to get there.

Review by John Popa ★

What do you call a teen slasher without good kills, any real suspense, likable characters or a convincing motivation for character? You call it a lousy movie. Thus and so, "Student Body" is a lousy movie.

Set in a completely artificial private high school of some sort, "Student body' sets us up with a protagonist who seems to be embarrassed to be smart, a snotty girl with influence, and a couple other dopey kids who aren't especially convincing as even two-dimensional characters. There's also a stern and preposterous teacher who if he isn't a serial killer, would certainly be suspected of being one.

Frustrated and bored, the kids break into the school to drink some booze the teacher has hidden…

Review by Joel Hilke ★½

Student Body is basically about a bunch of mostly unlikable teens locked in a school after hours being stalked by a slasher dresses as the school mascot. It takes entirely too long to get to the "scary" parts and seemingly even longer to get to the credits.

The opening half hour suggests a totally different movie, one about a teacher creeping on the smart girl in class. And how the smart girl deals with her friends who are annoyed at her curve-destroying math skills. It's reasonably character driven... but all that gets thrown out when the slasher movie starts.

And the slasher movie is... pretty mediocre. Nothing original and with mediocre kills and gore effects. If the killer in the mascot outfit was supposed to be a surprise, it wasn't. But it also had little to do with the first half of the movie, really.

This had potential but failed to deliver.

Review by Fred 🇵🇷 ★½

—☢️ 🧟 Spooky Season 2022 Film #47 🧟 ☢️—

Like a moody teenager, this movie doesn't know who it is and acts like a poseur until it suddenly decides to double down on its painfully predictable murdery Hot Topic goth phase. Anthony Keyvan, for whom I watched this, is the best part. Keyvan and Christian Camargo (who was a key character on 'Dexter' , for Pete's sake!) deserve better.

Review by fapm ½

Hands down, one of the worst movies I've ever watched.

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[Movie Review] STUDENT BODY

February 7, 2022 February 7, 2022
Jessica Scott

Jane ( Montse Hernandez ) is a star student at Allendale, a wealthy private school. Her academic prowess drives a wedge between her and her childhood best friend Merritt ( Cheyenne Haynes ), who asks Jane to use her influence with their intense, Nietzschean math teacher Mr. Aunspach (Christian Camargo), and convince him to allow Merritt and her friends to retake the test they flunked. Disappointed in Jane’s desire to fit in with the cool kids, Mr. Aunspach becomes threatening, frightening her and leading her to complain to the principal (Maurice Hall), getting Mr. Aunspach fired in the process. The teacher doesn’t give up on Jane, though, and soon a math test is the least of the kids’ worries.

STUDENT BODY spends its first half trying to get viewers invested in its characters, but it rarely succeeds. They all seem like cardboard cutouts. Merritt is the poor little rich girl, a trust fund kid who insists on always getting her way and spouts lines like “Jane, chill your clit” and “Grow a uterus” whenever Jane balks at a scheme that will get her into trouble. Merritt’s friend Nadia (Harley Quinn Smith) is a bully whose primary personality trait is her rage. Ellis (Anthony Keyvan) is the generic cute guy, and Frenchie ( Austin Zajur ) is the comic relief. The actors do their best with the script — especially Zajur, who earns a few laughs along the way — but the characters are so thinly drawn that it’s a relief once the already small group starts to dwindle in numbers.

The film can never really decide what it wants to be. The first half feels like a teenage hang-out movie. The second half wants to be a tense slasher flick, but it can’t raise any tension. It vacillates between tongue-in-cheek and sincere, but it never commits to either mode. One standout moment occurs when the killer appears at the end of a hallway, wearing the comical school mascot costume, and slowly stalks the kids as jaunty chamber music plays. Another highlight is when the mascot takes on a menacing quality as he stands motionless in a closet, watching the kids and waiting. Both are effective horror moments, but the movie doesn’t give either scene enough time to breathe, and it quickly abandons the humor of the hallway scene and the terror of the closet scene in favor of yet more ‘talk, scream, run, hide’ sequences with the survivors.

STUDENT BODY wants to say interesting things about the imbalance of power between adult teachers and young students. Mr. Aunspach is a bitter man who thinks he’s superior to the children he’s been charged with educating, and he — along with other power-starved teachers with chips on their shoulders — does more harm than he realizes or intends. That, or he does exactly as much harm as he intends, which is even more sinister. But despite Christian Camargo’s suitably creepy performance, the message gets lost in the protracted scenes of the kids getting drunk in the school or the repetitive third act.

The film also introduces an intriguing idea in the form of the school’s security. New cameras and bulletproof glass have just been installed in the school, and these same security measures that are ostensibly designed to protect the students end up trapping the five friends as a killer stalks them. The irony of safety precautions turning a school into a death trap could have been a sharp look at the ways that schools fail to keep kids safe, but the idea is abandoned early on after a throwaway remark about how useless the security measures are. It’s an interesting concept that the script loses interest in far too quickly.

Though we should of course hold slasher films to as high a standard as any other movie, there are joys to be found in slasher movies that fall short in certain areas. The problem with STUDENT BODY is that it falls short in too many ways. Though the film has moments where it shines, it simply doesn’t have enough of them, and it quickly abandons its most interesting ideas. School as a source of horror can be relevant and terrifying — who among us hasn’t had a frightening teacher or a school that undermined our safety? — but STUDENT BODY sets up a premise it can’t deliver on and fails its own test.

STUDENT BODY is available digitally on February 8, 2022.

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The student body, common sense media reviewers.

Insightful doc follows student's investigation of BMI tests.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Viewers will learn about the idea of Body Mass Ind

Perserverance is an important theme. Positive mess

Bailey is a determined student journalist who'

Apple products like an iMac, MacBook, but this is

Educational Value

Viewers will learn about the idea of Body Mass Index (BMI) numbers and why some consider them useful for health screenings, while others think they aren't as useful as close pediatric and nutritional care.

Positive Messages

Perserverance is an important theme. Positive messages include the idea that a student journalist/activist can make a difference by standing up for what she believes, the importance of questioning policies you feel are unfair, asking questions and demanding transparency from authorities and politicians, and making sure to ask for various sides/positions of an issue.

Positive Role Models

Bailey is a determined student journalist who's persistent in her goal of interviewing various politicians, school officials, and nutritionists and physicians to discuss the idea of mandatory BMI testing. Even though she herself has an "acceptable" BMI, she advocates on behalf of those who fall outside the narrow range that "acceptable" defines.

Products & Purchases

Apple products like an iMac, MacBook, but this is a documentary, so it's not product placement.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Student Body is a documentary about an Ohio student journalist's decision to track down the reasoning behind -- and the politicians responsible for -- mandatory BMI (Body Mass Index) testing in schools. There's no iffy content (swearing, sex, violence, etc.) in the documentary, but it's unlikely to appeal to younger kids who might not understand the fitness terminology or the main subject's investigative reporting. But tweens and teens will benefit from seeing how perseverance and determination pay off and why it's worth their time to take a stand if they don't agree with a rule or policy. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say
Kids say (1)

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

THE STUDENT BODY is a documentary chronicling Ohio student journalist Bailey Webber's quest to uncover the reasoning behind a state law mandating Body Mass Index (BMI) testing in public schools. When Webber (whose filmmaker father is the movie's producer and director) sees how upset her friend is after receiving a "fat letter" notifying her parents that her BMI falls above the acceptable range, Webber decides to interview educators, health policy experts, physicians, nutritionists, students, and even the Ohio state senator responsible for the bill. In each of her interviews, Webber asks the adults to step on the scale and whether they'd be willing to be screened for their own BMI; not surprisingly, most say no.

Is It Any Good?

This inspiring documentary follows how one determined high schooler stands up to politicians and school officials to complain about what she considers unnecessary BMI screenings in schools. Although the film acknowledges that obesity is a real national crisis, Webber's stance is that notifying students that they're over or underweight based solely on BMI is unfair and cruel. Despite her obvious (and understandable) bias on the subject, based on her friend's experiences, Webber also speaks to those who support the screenings and believe the notifications could help parents follow up with physicians and nutritionists to address their children's weight issues.

Of course, the majority of The Student Body consists of interviews with those in favor of getting rid of the BMI notification letters, as well as with students and parents who've been hurt by receiving the letters. And a large part of the story involves Webber attempting to track down a particular state senator who refuses to meet with her in person and wants to answer questions via email. Just when you think Webber is going to give up (the senator's staff is obviously frustrated with her persistent demands for face time), she persists and lands the biggest interview of the movie. The film is a tribute to student journalism and the power of investigative reporting, and Webber is clearly a talented young documentarian.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about The Student Body 's messages. How does Bailey demonstrate perseverance ? Why is that an important character strength ?

What does the movie teach viewers about BMI? Do you think schools should screen for it (like they do for hearing, vision, or scoliosis), or do you think it's something parents should handle privately for their children?

How does the movie tie into issues related to body image ? Why is that an important topic for kids and families?

Why is it important to stand up for what you believe in? Have you ever done that? How did it go?

How can you tell which rules should be followed and which might need to be questioned?

Movie Details

In theaters : July 11, 2016
On DVD or streaming : February 28, 2017
Cast : Holly Allen , Michael Webber
Directors : Bailey Webber , Michael Webber
Studio : NightFly Entertainment
Genre : Documentary
Topics : High School
Character Strengths : Perseverance
Run time : 85 minutes
MPAA rating : NR
Last updated : June 19, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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‘Student Body’: A High School Mascot Brings the Hammer Down in Bloody First Trailer [Exclusive]

Harley Quinn Smith , Kevin Smith’s daughter, is spooked in the official trailer from Student Body , releasing on various VOD platforms February 8, 2022, from 1091 Pictures.

“Student Body follows a group of students at a prestigious high school where a teacher oversteps his bounds and the teens are forced to take matters into their own hands, with deadly consequences.”

Written and directed by Lee Ann Kurr , it also stars Montse Hernandez, Cheyenne Haynes , Austin Zajur, Anthony Keyvan and Christian Camargo .

“[ Student Body is a] highly entertaining and elevated slasher flick that dives beyond the genre norms and offers a female-led perspective both onscreen and behind the camera,” said 1091’s head of content Eric Min to Variety when first announced.

Check out the exclusive world trailer premiere in which a high school’s mascot brings a sledgehammer down on the student body.

See you after class…

Pre-orders available now on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

Daniel Roebuck Has Joined the Cast of ‘Terrifier 3’! [Exclusive]

Daniel Roebuck has been cast as Santa Claus in Terrifier 3 , Bloody Disgusting can exclusively report.

Writer-director Damien Leone is currently wrapping production on the highly-anticipated sequel, in which Art the Clown unleashes chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.

“I’ve been holding this secret for a long time!” Roebuck tells Bloody Disgusting. “I’ve been really excited about it. I’m actually entering into the movies that I watch. It’s extraordinary. This is Terrifier bigger, badder, best.”

Roebuck appears in Terrifier 3 alongside returning cast members David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Samantha Scaffidi, Elliot Fullam , and AEW superstar Chris Jericho .

No stranger to iconic horror properties, Roebuck has squared off against Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s Halloween II , played The Count in Zombie’s The Munsters , succumbed to The Tall Man’s sphere in Phantasm: Ravager , and investigated death in Final Destination .

A distinguished character actor with over 250 credits, Roebuck has also appeared in The Devil’s Rejects, 3 from Hell, Bubba Ho-Tep, John Dies at the End, The Fugitive, Lost, Agent Cody Banks, and The Man in the High Castle . Incidentally, he’s also playing Santa in the family drama Saint Nick of Bethlehem , due out later this year.

Terrifier 3 will be released in theaters nationwide later this year via Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting in conjunction with our partner on Terrifier 2 , Iconic Events Releasing.

Terrifier 3 comes courtesy of Dark Age Cinema Productions . Phil Falcone Produces with Lisa Falcone acting as Executive Producer. Co-producers include Mike Leavy, Jason Leavy, George Steuber, and Steve Della Salla. Brad Miska, Brandon Hill, and Erick Opeka Executive Produce for Cineverse. Matthew Helderman and Luke Taylor also Executive Produce.

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Movie Review: “STUDENT BODY” Gets An “A” for Effort, but Fails In Execution

Saturday, February 12, 2022 | Reviews

By JENN ADAMS

High School Horror is having a bit of a moment. While always a genre mainstay, films centered on teenagers between the formative grades of 9 and 12 are finding more favor with audiences looking for a bit of brutal fun. Recent hits like Freaky (2020) , Fear Street 1994 (2021) , and Scream (2022) all point to a new generation of teen slashers. Adding its name to the mortarboard hat is STUDENT BODY, Lee Ann Kurr’s tale of a murderous high school mascot stalking five prep school students. Kurr has definitely done her homework, adding in all the necessary ingredients like a fun pop soundtrack, witty dialogue, and trendy fashion. The film even boasts a terrifying villain, a retro woodsman toting a huge sledgehammer. But these ingredients never quite come together. Odd character development keeps the story from ever feeling cohesive and uneven pacing slashes any attempt to build tension and dread. Though there are moments of joy and terror, STUDENT BODY, ultimately commits the cardinal teenage sin; it feels like it’s trying too hard.

Jane (Montse Hernandez) is a student at an elite private school struggling to fit in after a mysterious tragedy. Despite lingering hostilities and a complicated relationship, her popular cousin Merritt (Cheyenne Haynes) takes the girl under her wing. When unwanted attention from her draconian calculus teacher, Mr. Aunspach (Christian Camargo), puts Jane on the outs with Merritt and her friends, she tries to win back their favor by hacking the school’s new security system for a weekend trip to raid the gym teacher’s secret liquor stash. But the students are not the only ones haunting the halls and they soon find themselves the target of a brutal killer disguised as the school’s alpha male mascot.

As the anchor of the film, Hernandez is both relatable and touching in her vulnerability but a lack of backstory leaves her “shy girl trying to fit in” archetype wearing thin by the final act. Her popular Girl Boss cousin Merritt has a bit more characterization, but Kurr can’t seem to decide if we’re supposed to like her or not. Ironically, she has a bit too much backstory, the elements of which often conflict with each other. It’s hard to get a read on who either girl is or the nature of their family turmoil. What should be the central relationship of the film feels more like a stereotypical battle between the alpha and the outsider with little humanity to draw us in.

This lack of characterization is frustrating because there’s a lot to mine with the cousin’s relationship. A photograph of the two with a woman who is presumably Jane’s mother and a brief mention of a tragedy involving tall trees allude to an interesting past that could inform both girl’s motivations. But we’re never given any more than this and what could have been an interesting wrinkle in the plot feels frustratingly under-explored. Late stage revelations and a cathartic monologue finally add humanity (though maddeningly few details) to the relationship and lead to one of the most compelling moments of the film. But rather than providing closure, the moment stops dead in its tracks: the ramifications of said conclusion are never revisited and we revert back to the traditional final girl narrative.

This is true of all the characters, who feel like approximations of reality rather than actual people. Popular boy Ellis (Anthony Keyvan) is kind to Jane, but his only character trait seems to be the improbable habit of photography, complete with a darkroom. Harley Quinn Smith is Nadia, the alpha soccer player who’s razor sharp edge and seething anger may hide endearing shyness. Austin Zajur steals the show as Eric “Frenchy” French, the bumbling but good-natured friend obsessed with becoming the school mascot. But each of these descriptions comprises the whole of their characterization. All five students seemingly exist to check off a narrative box and they rarely feel like genuine friends. Clumsy attempts to humanize each character only serve to draw more attention to the paper thin foundations they are built on.

More successful are the film’s two villains; Mr. Aunspach is a malevolent math teacher who gleefully punishes any student not naturally gifted at calculus. He gets off on controlling the fates of his students and sees his teaching as a gift to bestow only on the students he deems worthy. The attention he shows Jane is inappropriate, but the entire interaction feels strange and it’s hard to get a sense of where either character stands. Their relationship edges right up to the line of sexual abuse and grooming, but Kurr seems afraid to go there, leaving us with vague implications and strangely extreme consequences. But STUDENT BODY is at its best when leaning into the iconography of its masked killer – the school’s woodsman mascot. Wielding a heavy sledgehammer, he is both ominous and powerful, exerting his dominance over his victims. As a reminder of “simpler” times, he is an effective and deadly stand-in for patriarchy itself.

Though the Mascot is frightening, the film’s tension all but grinds to a halt once the killings kick off. Deaths are brutal, but they often occur way too quickly or just off screen, a frustrating omission for the sub genre. One poignant and empowering moment is stopped dead in its tracks by a single swing of the sledgehammer, a brutal kill that would ordinarily feel devastating in its finality. But the single moment also serves to kill the most compelling element of the plot, throwing away a character just when they are becoming interesting. Long stretches of uneventful searching removes the tension that should be a slasher film’s lifeline and the killer’s tactics are frustratingly erratic. An entire scene plays out in a room where we already know the mascot is hiding and the only reason for a delay in the next attack seems to be a need for narrative exposition. When we finally find out the motive beneath the mask, it’s difficult not to feel disappointed. The entire plot seems constructed around a few lines of dialogue during the final showdown, but the lack of story development leading up to it leads to eyerolls rather than “Hell yeah” fist pumps.

Though devoid of most horror elements, the film’s first act has a lot of heart. The youthful exuberance is contagious and smart musical choices lead to moments of pure joy. But the effervescence ceases when the horror elements kick in and we’re left with a series of murky relationships, unclear arguing, and frustrating cliches. This could be excused if the slasher sequences were stronger in execution, but the film’s back half drags on with long periods of confusing inaction. Each time Kurr presents an intriguing character detail or plot line, it’s almost immediately shut down, leading to feelings of frustration rather than the intended fear and intrigue. By the time the climax arrives, the emotional stakes are long gone.

STUDENT BODY is strongest when it evokes the carefree joy of being a teen. High points lie in musical moments where the five friends simply enjoy spending time together, breaking the rules and living in the moment. But a teen slasher needs effective scares as well and, other than a visually striking killer, they are sorely lacking. The film essentially veers off course in its second act, leaning on horror cliches and empty imagery. Shocking moments that never pay off and dangling plot threads fuel viewer resentment and confusion and despite a strong start, STUDENT BODY is a fail that’ll leave audience asking for a retake.

STUDENT BODY is now available On Demand.

High School Horror
Lee Ann Kurr
STUDENT BODY

Rue Morgue TV
Faculty of Horror
HorrorBabble
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Student Body

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Montse Hernandez

Christian Camargo

Mr. Aunspach

Cheyenne Haynes

Anthony Keyvan

Harley Quinn Smith

Nadia Parker

Average 5.3

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