Goody-two-shoes Erica (Annie Q) unbelievably finds herself slammed into weekend detention, and before you can say “This shit seems like The Breakfast Club” she suffers the barbs of the various reprobates stuck in there with her as well as the ‘tude of the gruff-as-all-shit Vice Principal runnin’ the show. Said hard ass makes our “heroes” clean up the school as punishment, before retiring to his office to appease that ol’ demon in a bottle.
Talk among that gang of goofs soon turns to the urban legend of a g-g-ghost dressed as an admiral that haunts those hallowed halls…and the fact some of them believe said specter is behind students that have recently gone missing. Soon the kids end up being locked in the school, and of course what was thought to be mere legend is in fact a murderous reality!
Definitely the most lightweight of the Into the Dark series thus far, School Spirit is a by the numbers, teen based slasher (albeit one with a seemingly supernatural twist). Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not, while predictable, the proceedings are kept fun due to a solid cast, slick cinematography, tension packed stalk n’ slay sequences, and a unique design for the beast at hand…a being that would be right at home in a classic Scooby-Doo episode, visually at least…
For me the major downfall in this picture is a reveal in the third act that made things just a tad too predictable. With the set-up present I wanted something a bit different than what we got…but your mileage may differ depending on your taste in fright flicks. Yeah, super fuckin’ vague…but I try and keep these shits spoiler free so deal…
If you dig on ’90’s teen slasher flicks like I know What You Did Last Summer or Valentine, School Spirit will float your beastly boat just fine; it’s a well made, no frills horror pic that delivers what it promises, and is another solid entry in the Into the Dark series.
