Starring - Alessandra Acciai (The Big Dream, The Youngest Son), Jean Hebert (Brivido Giallo, La Piovra), and Viola Simoncioni (The Betrothed, Club Vacanze)
Release Date - 1993
Genre - Horror
Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
This High Tension: Four Films by Lamberto Bava has been a lot of fun so far. I was afraid that this set would be like the Cliff Twemlow and Danza Macabra Volume Four where some of the films would be unforgettable and the rest would be a tough watch. However, that has not been the case up to this point. I may be a bit biased because I am a huge fan of Bava's but these four films were brand new to me. The first two in the set were great with one not being a horror film like I was expecting. Regardless, it was a lot of fun and I couldn't wait for the third film which the 1993 film School of Fear.
The film follows a teacher with a sorted past sent to an elite school where the former teacher fell to her death. She starts to worry about her students the more she gets to know them before becoming alarmed by a secret game they refuse to let adults know about. She becomes obsessed when one of her students doesn't return to class and she suspects the other students are behind it. She becomes linked with a local detective but he doesn't believe her either. However, that changes when she goes missing on a school trip and he suspects the students are behind it.
Calling School of Fear a horror title is a bit of a stretch. It has a lot of horror elements but at the end of the day it's no more the day it was nothing more than a dark thriller. Don't get me wrong. This was a solid film, especially from Bava, but it was a lot like The Man Who Wouldn't Die. It had it's dark moments but just wasn't a horror film when it was all said and done. The acting in this one was my favorite in the set by far. The characters in this one are more natural and well grounded. The children, while young, have better acting chops than most of the veterans with years, or even decades, of experience in front of the camera. This is where talent, direction, and solid writing collide to create an entertaining experience for the viewer. The story for this one is exactly what I would expect from a made for television movie. It's not really horror, as I stated earlier, but it does borrow some horror elements. With that being said, the film is a very dark thriller where the children are mysterious and menacing. Well, as menacing as rich children with no conscience can be. I do like the story and how well it played out but it is predictable with very little replay value. Finally, don't expect a bloody or violent film like the previous two. This one has just a little blood and a lot of character development. Overall, School of Fear is nowhere near the top of my favorite Lamberto Bava films but it is enjoyable. It's worth a watch especially if you are taking the time to watch the other films in this set.
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