The Detained (3/5) [Netflix]

The Detained is now on Netflix. It’s officially a thriller but feels more like a campy teen horror movie. In a very good way! It was previously titled Deadly Detention and is basically a horror spoof on The Breakfast Club.

The Detained is on Netflix and if you like horror comedy or spoof movies, you should definitely check this one out. It’s a deliciously campy teen horror movie that doubles as a contemporary spoof of the 80s classic The Breakfast Club.

It was previously called Deadly Detention which almost suits better, but whatever the title, it’s all good fun.

Even if it does feel like a weirdly censored version on Netflix. For one, it tends to cut away before we see any real bloody horror action and you can clearly see an actor saying “sh*t” while the word “hell” has been dubbed over it.

Again, it doesn’t ruin the overall story and the dark humor is perfectly timed throughout. Still, many horror fans will feel cheated. I know I did. Especially since these scenes were clearly shot in the first place.

The five archetypal teens in The Detained

The casting in The Detained (aka Deadly Detention) is pretty damn perfect for each of the five archetypal teens that resemble The Breakfast Club.

We have Jessica as the “good girl athlete” portrayed by Sarah Davenport, who you might know from Stichers. She’s definitely the coolest character along with Lexie, who’s the “bad girl” played perfectly by Alex Frnka (The Axe Murders of Villisca).

Also, I loved the fact that Sarah Davenport (Jessica) immediately reminded me of a teen-version of Sofia Vergara. And Alex Frnka (Lexie) had facial expressions reminiscent of Denise Richards while looking like Megan Fox in Jennifer’s Body. I mean, this just meant you immediately felt like you knew the characters.

Then there’s the gay black boy, Kevin, who’s always carrying a bedazzled Bible. Coy Stewart (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) did an awesome job of portraying him as a fleshed out character while looking like a complete stereotype.

The only other male in this Saturday detention is Barrett. The super narcissistic pretty boy was played spot-on by Henry Zaga. You may know Henry Zaga from Teen Wolf and you’ll soon see him again in the X-Men horror spin-off The New Mutants.

Finally, we have the beanie-wearing skater girl, Taylor, played by Jennifer Robyn Jacobs. She keeps to herself which is why she’s labeled a weirdo pretty fast. Also, Taylor doesn’t speak for quite some time but has plenty to say once she gets started.

Awesome oneliners to keep it campy

The principal, Ms. Presley, alone is enough to make it very obvious that you shouldn’t take anything in the deadly detention too seriously. Principal Presley is played perfectly by Gillian Vigman, who clearly enjoys being in control. And also likes reading sultry erotic novels to pass the time.

Besides, these five teens are doing their Saturday detention in a shut-down prison. Don’t worry, there’s an explanation for this. However, there is no explanation as to why the parking lots surrounding this empty prison are constantly full of cars. Oh well, just a minor detail and with campy movies, you can get away with a lot.

Also, there are some truly great lines in The Detained which keeps the mood light and campy. If the dark humor wasn’t so obvious, this movie could easily come across as a really bad horror movie. Instead, it’s all good fun and plays with the horror and 80s tropes!

From “Don’t poke the weirdo” to “All old people wear Fitbits to know they’re alive”, we know everything in The Detained is in good fun. It would have been even more fun if Netflix didn’t have this strangely censored version, but hopefully, that will change.

I’m not sure if it’s part of the movie’s campiness that you can easily guess who the killer is from the very beginning. It would suit the style of The Detained pretty well.

Watch The Detained on Netflix now

The Detained was directed by Blair Hayes, who previously directed quite a few movies. His first feature film was the adventure comedy Bubble Boy (2001) starring a young Jake Gyllenhaal. Almost ten years later, he made Night Music (2010) which is more of a dark mystery thriller. In other words, Blair Hayes has worked with quite a few genres already.

The script for The Detained was written by Alison Spuck McNeeley and Casie Tabanou. This is the second movie the two have written together. And they’ve already written an additional three since, so they’re pretty much on a roll. Something I can definitely understand.

The Detained was a massively pleasant surprise to me since I thought it would be just another teen horror movie with no edge. This is a perfect Friday night addition to Netflix so check it out and just have fun watching it!

The Detained is on Netflix in the US from February 15, 2019.
And yes, you’ll notice the title during the opening credits is still Deadly Detention. Whatever the title, it’s all good fun!

Additional Netflix regions: The Detained should also be on Netflix in Canada, Australia, The UK, and several other countries.

Details

Director: Blair Hayes
Writers: Alison Spuck McNeeley, Casie Tabanou
Stars: Gillian Vigman, Henry Zaga, Coy Stewart, Sarah Davenport, Alex Frnka, Jennifer Robyn Jacobs, Kevin Blake