history teacher mr tingle seem to have it in for student leigh ann watson and who have her heart on achieve a write school scholarship . she receive another low grade from tingle and which doesn not help . when one of her classmate luke steal the paper of the final history exam and pop it in her bag and mrs. tingle find it stick out . she threaten the three that she will go to the principal about it and but he not available . so before she report it the next morning . leigh and her friend jo lynn and scott head to her place that night and try to convince her not tell the principal . however due to tingle stubbornness and that find themselves revert to drastic measure to stop this get out . wasn not fan of it when i first saw it and and after another viewing and i be still not one . writer kevin williamson be on a roll after pen the successful contemporary teen horror film while scream ( 1996 ) and i know what you do last summer ( 1997 ) and scream 2 ( 1997 ) and the faculty ( 1998 ) . he be rid the success ( also not to forget the tv show dawson creek ) and but this project would be the final bump . the difference there and compare with this entry be other then write the screenplay and he be also make his debut in direct . the strange thing though and be that i find his direction to be competently do and but material he storm up to flavourless and tire . it seem to get catch in play both a black comedy and straight out thriller and without make it gel . the script be clutter with quick wit and on go gag and trivial stretch and gimmicky reference towards other film and but the problem be that it too water down with so many contrived development and sappy moral current disrupt the flow . the fractured script have to be more strong and potent and since it a small scale production that feel like youre watch a stage show because of it mostly confine set . it try to play mind game with the character and but these moment be there to only serve the story poor progression into a puddle of stupidity and senselessness . the film end take the cake . williamson polished direction be sound and but more so in a pedestrian way and therefore it lack suspense and the pace even with it taut surroundings can really plod on . you eventually feel it after the halfway mark and and it show up how minor the story be . the performance be tolerable enough and although if it weren not for helen mirren classy and icy portrayal of manipulative prowess a mrs. tingle and a buoyant marisa coughlan and we would have be stick watch a vapid goody to shoe katie holmes . barry watson be modest in his slacker part and molly ringwald have a less role . the soundtrack pack enough energy and but i find it terribly overwrought and shapeless in it choice . watchable and but mechanical all round .