Detention (2011 film)
A time-traveling slasher comedy set in detention.
Detention is a 2011 American black comedy slasher film directed by Joseph Kahn, who co-wrote it with Mark Palermo. It debuted in March 2011 at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. The cast includes Josh Hutcherson, Shanley Caswell, Spencer Locke (playing two roles), and Dane Cook.
The story follows a group of misfit students at Grizzly Lake High—Riley, Ione, Toshiba, Mimi, and Clapton, along with Sander, who has a crush on Riley—while a serial killer called Cinderhella targets the student body. Principal Verge locks them in detention until 10 PM on prom night, suspecting one of them is the killer. While there, they discover the school’s stuffed bear mascot is a time machine, and that the world was supposed to end in 1992 because Ione’s mother, Sloane, refused to go to prom with Verge. It turns out “Ione” is actually Sloane, who swapped bodies with her daughter; the real Ione is stuck in Sloane’s body in 1992. Through her daughter’s body, Sloane stole Riley’s crush, Clapton, causing a rift in their friendship.
Using the bear, the group travels to 1992, where Ione (in Sloane’s body) wants to stay because she’s become popular by knowing future trends. They learn that Sander is the real killer and that Verge destroyed the world with his help. Ione reluctantly agrees to go to prom with Verge, who then promises not to destroy the world. Riley also uses the time travel to prevent her father from becoming an alcoholic.
After returning, they find that while some things changed, the murders still happened. Riley and Clapton, now a couple, are attacked by a jealous Sander. In the struggle, Sander is impaled on the bear mascot’s fangs and dies. The film ends with several students dating, including Riley and Clapton. Ione, remaining in her mother’s body, marries Verge after realizing they’re compatible, and frequently grounds Sloane. The world is then invaded by plant-based aliens angry about humans eating and destroying plants.
Joseph Kahn largely financed the film himself. Principal photography took place in Los Angeles from August to October 2010. Christopher Probst served as director of photography, shooting digitally on Red Ones. Chris Watts handled on-set visual effects supervision, with post-production effects by Ingenuity Engine in Hollywood, California. Production design was by Marcelle Gravel, a veteran music video and commercial designer.
Sony Pictures Wor
- director
- Joseph Kahn
- release_year
- 2011 (premiere), 2012 (theatrical)
- genre
- Black comedy slasher
- runtime
- Not specified in source
- country
- United States
- box_office
- Not specified in source
Lore & Background
The plot follows a serial killer known as Cinderhella who is preying on Grizzly Lake High's student body. Misfit students Riley, Ione, Toshiba, Mimi, Clapton, and Sander are placed in detention by Principal Verge, who suspects one of them is the killer. While in detention, they discover that the school's stuffed bear mascot is a time machine and that the world was supposed to end in 1992 because Ione's mother Sloane refused to go to prom with Verge. It is revealed that 'Ione' is actually Sloane, who swapped bodies with her daughter, and that the real Ione is in Sloane's body in 1992.
The group uses the bear to time travel to 1992, where they learn that Sander is the true killer and that Verge destroyed the world with his help. Ione agrees to go to prom with Verge to prevent the apocalypse, and Riley uses the time travel to keep her father from becoming an alcoholic. After returning, the murders still occurred, and Riley and Clapton, now a couple, are attacked by a jealous Sander, who is killed when impaled on the bear mascot's fangs. The film ends with several students dating, Ione marrying Verge, and the world being invaded by plant-based aliens.
Reader's Guide
Detention received mixed to average reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 44% approval rating based on 45 reviews, with a consensus that the film's kinetic style gives it a rebellious kick but an overload of ideas prevents coherence. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Some critics praised its smart, funny, and heartfelt nature, while others found it too weird and off-the-wall. The film won several awards, including the Youth Jury Prize at the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival, the L'Écran Fantastique Prize at Montreal's Fantasia Film Festival, the Midnight Extreme Award at Spain's Sitges, and the Biggest Surprise Award at London's Frightfest. Its legacy lies in its cult status as a hyperkinetic, genre-mashing film that defies easy categorization.
Did You Know?
- The film was financed largely by director Joseph Kahn himself.
- Principal photography took place in Los Angeles from August to October 2010.
- The film was shot digitally on Red Ones by director of photography Christopher Probst.
- Spencer Locke played a dual role in the film.
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