The Faculty
When some very creepy things start happening around school, the kids at Herrington High make the chilling discovery that confirms their worst suspicions: their teachers really are from another planet!
Despite a moderate budget of $15.0M, The Faculty became a solid performer, earning $40.3M worldwide—a 169% return.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Faculty (1998) exemplifies precise plot construction, characteristic of Robert Rodriguez's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 44 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Casey Connor, a loner student photographer, captures evidence in the school parking lot at night. The faculty members gather ominously, establishing the isolated, paranoid world of Herrington High where something is very wrong.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Casey witnesses Principal Drake and Coach Willis attack and infect Nurse Harper with an alien parasite in the faculty lounge. The teachers are being taken over by something inhuman, and Casey has photographic evidence—but no one will believe him.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to The group actively decides to fight back after Nurse Harper attacks them in full alien form. They make the irreversible choice to stay together, skip school, and hunt down the alien queen before the entire town is infected. They are now fugitives fighting an invasion., moving from reaction to action.
At 52 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat The group discovers that almost all the faculty and many students are infected. The invasion is far more advanced than they thought. What seemed like a small problem is now a full-scale takeover. The stakes skyrocket—they're not just fighting a few aliens, but an army., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 78 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The group is cornered in the school gym by the fully infected faculty and student body. They're outnumbered and out of options. Zeke is revealed to be the alien queen in disguise—their trusted ally was the enemy all along. The ultimate betrayal and apparent defeat., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 83 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The final battle in the school. The students work together using their unique skills—Casey's intelligence, Stan's athleticism, Stokely's toughness, Delilah's determination, Marybeth's innocence as a weapon. They fight through infected hordes, inject Zeke with massive doses of his own drug, and destroy the queen. The hive collapses, freeing everyone., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Faculty's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping The Faculty against these established plot points, we can identify how Robert Rodriguez utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Faculty within the horror genre.
Robert Rodriguez's Structural Approach
Among the 12 Robert Rodriguez films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Faculty takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Robert Rodriguez filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Lake Placid, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Cat's Eye. For more Robert Rodriguez analyses, see From Dusk Till Dawn, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Casey Connor, a loner student photographer, captures evidence in the school parking lot at night. The faculty members gather ominously, establishing the isolated, paranoid world of Herrington High where something is very wrong.
Theme
Nurse Harper tells a student, "Things aren't always what they seem." This introduces the film's central theme about identity, trust, and the danger of conformity versus the strength found in being an outsider.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Herrington High's diverse social outcasts: Casey the photographer, Delilah the bitchy editor, Zeke the drug-dealing senior, Stan the quarterback who quits football, Stokely the goth misfit, and Marybeth the new girl. Each character is isolated in their own way, bullied or marginalized.
Disruption
Casey witnesses Principal Drake and Coach Willis attack and infect Nurse Harper with an alien parasite in the faculty lounge. The teachers are being taken over by something inhuman, and Casey has photographic evidence—but no one will believe him.
Resistance
The students debate whether Casey's story is real. They find evidence of the alien creature in the faculty lounge. Zeke experiments with his homemade drug on the creature and discovers it kills the parasite. The group resists believing the full scope of the invasion but begins gathering proof.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The group actively decides to fight back after Nurse Harper attacks them in full alien form. They make the irreversible choice to stay together, skip school, and hunt down the alien queen before the entire town is infected. They are now fugitives fighting an invasion.
Premise
The students execute their plan to identify and destroy the alien queen. They test faculty members with Zeke's drug, evade infected teachers, and race through the school. The "fun and games" of a teen sci-fi thriller: alien autopsies, chase scenes, paranoia about who's infected, and the kids using their outcast skills to survive.
Midpoint
The group discovers that almost all the faculty and many students are infected. The invasion is far more advanced than they thought. What seemed like a small problem is now a full-scale takeover. The stakes skyrocket—they're not just fighting a few aliens, but an army.
Opposition
The infected teachers and students hunt the group relentlessly. Paranoia fractures trust—they suspect each other of being infected. The aliens get smarter and more aggressive. Mrs. Brummel reveals the aliens' plan to homogenize humanity. The students are trapped, exhausted, and losing hope.
Collapse
The group is cornered in the school gym by the fully infected faculty and student body. They're outnumbered and out of options. Zeke is revealed to be the alien queen in disguise—their trusted ally was the enemy all along. The ultimate betrayal and apparent defeat.
Crisis
The students are devastated by Zeke's betrayal and their capture. They're separated and face the horror of imminent infection. In their darkest moment, they confront their personal fears and the reality that they might lose their identities forever.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The final battle in the school. The students work together using their unique skills—Casey's intelligence, Stan's athleticism, Stokely's toughness, Delilah's determination, Marybeth's innocence as a weapon. They fight through infected hordes, inject Zeke with massive doses of his own drug, and destroy the queen. The hive collapses, freeing everyone.