Sometimes They Come Back
I like how Stephen King doesn't make it in the least bit subtle how he feels about high school. Anyway, that's just a couple of scenes.
As for the premise, it's pretty believable. I'll try to spin it for you without spoiling a thing. So, a teacher from Chicago is forced to move back to his home town because it's the only teaching job he can get. THEN SHEET GETS REAL
If you have Netflix, it's streaming (which is how I saw it).
Now I'mna lay it down with a spoiler here 'n' there. But I'll use spoiler tags to set things a proper.
Spoiler (click to read)
I don't really dig how McLoughlin chose to reveal Jim's traumatic experience. I guess I'd have to read the short story, but I'm pretty sure you can go about it without Jim literally walking through a flashback. Maybe have him have an actual flashback? I dunno. I mean it got the point across. So I'll leave it be.
The first greaser kid gets extremely corny right off the bat. "I can't wait for you to start teaching me, Mr. Norman. I hunger for knowledge." Like, was that line meant to be hilarious? Good job, if that's the case.
The "haunting/possible insanity" angle was a bit too overdone. Like the part with the TV where he's watching King Kong and then it turns into a home video? I dunno. That part played off sorta stupid to me. The train sound effect was pretty spooky, if they used that alone during that scene instead of the T.V. going all home video it probably would have accomplished the same goal only better.
I thought the whole ghost greaser gang thing was all sorts of lame. Like, the best thing about ghost movies is when they do what Paranormal Activity did where you never see the ghost, but it's just sounds and bumps in the night (and stuff moving to and fro moved by INVISI HANDS). The Jock ghosts coming back as students and killing other students to take their seats is just stupid, I'm sorry.
And the laughter... the ridiculously stupid laughter...
I will say this, the movie accomplished its quest to make me hate eighties jocks and seventies greasers. If ever I meet an eighties jock and/or seventies greaser I'll full on punch him (or her, you'll find no discrimination here in the Billo house hold) in the teeth.
I'd give the movie a 6/10. It'd get lower, but it did get me emotionally invested, so it worked as a thriller.
