Key Takeaways:
– The Skulls, a thriller from the turn of the century, has a love-hate reputation which makes it a fascinating topic of discussion.
– Despite criticism, its underlying message, engaging premise, and cast performance makes it worth revisiting.
– The story offers a glimpse into the world of elite secret societies.
– The film’s creators sought to expose and cast a thrilling narrative around power elites’ secret societies.
Imagine stepping onto a time machine that transports you back to the intersection of the 90s and 2000s where secret societies, popularity of teen dramas, and thrillers all collide into one electrifying movie: The Skulls. Written and narrated by Mike Holtz, the episode of “WTF Happened to This Horror Movie?” covering The Skulls presents an engaging narrative of this kind-of-bizarre, yet kind-of-genius movie.
The movie kicks off with Luke McNamara, a hardworking Yale senior with no family support or financial aid. His life takes a turn when he joins “The Skulls,” a powerful secret society consisting of influential members campus-wide and globally recognized alumni. Suddenly, he’s living a dream – driving sports cars, attracting women, and seeing a promising future. The interesting part is when he is forced to choose between blowing the whistle on the society’s illegal activities or turning a blind eye to continue enjoying his newfound privileges.
The Skulls sets a unique tone combining it’s serious and thought-provoking premise with teen dramas and thriller elements, which made it stand out, despite being written off by some critics as laughable. The film, while love it or hate it, undeniably raises questions about the authority that governs the world.
Joshua Jackson, of Dawson’s Creek fame, plays Luke. Jackson’s casting in the lead role was welcomed by fans who admired his characterization of Pacey, the black sheep of Dawson’s Creek. Notably, the late Paul Walker plays the character of Caleb Mandrake, contributing depth to the film with his impressive performance. All these make The Skulls a nostalgic treat from the past and an oddly comforting thriller to watch.
Surprisingly, The Skulls is loosely based on the real-life secret society, “The Order of the Skull and Bones”. This organization selects its annual members from influential figures within Yale’s seniors, most of whom go on to hold significant positions globally. The Skulls subtly reflects conversations about the Illuminati and other ongoing global issues. Despite the criticism, The Skulls attracted a decent following, earning it a 43% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie’s release marked a crucial time in cinema, with many studios vying to capitalize on the “teenage ensemble cast” trend. The makers of The Skulls however sought not to monopolize this trend but to introduce the young audience to the thriller genre set in a context they could relate with – college.
Once you dig beneath its surface, The Skulls carries a more profound message than initially credited. It narrates a story of decision-making and doing the right thing, no matter how tempting the other choice could be. The Skulls serves as a stark reminder of humanity’s struggle between greed and conscience. It adds in a delectable cast, an interesting (even if slightly unrealistic) narrative, and wraps up with a classic duel. Now that is the entire story of what happened to The Skulls. In retrospect, it was a welcome break from the typical murder mysteries, making it a thriller worth revisiting.
