Teacher’s Pet has a name and premise straight out of the heyday of erotic thrillers. Following an unfortunate accident, a new teacher takes over the English class that Clara (Michelle Torian) attends. Mr. Heller (Luke Barnett) takes an immediate liking to Clara and offers the help she needs to get to Yale. But at what cost?
The movie does have many of the tropes of the sub-genre, but the plot is less sexy and much more frightening. Clara has doubts about Mr. Heller from the beginning and never is never attracted to him. And Teacher’s Pet lets the audience know from the beginning that those worries are founded. This eliminates any sexual tension and brings a new danger.
Barnett’s performance is one of the strong points. He introduces himself by quoting a scene from Dead Poet’s Society word for word. This subtle red flag is the first in a series of escalating incidents. As Teacher’s Pet progresses he becomes more brazen. The list that he keeps is a throwback to 1980s slashers that could have played a bigger part, however.
The pacing ensures Teacher’s Pet is consistently exciting. Once the plot kicks in, things never slow down. Clara is constantly having to deal with Mr. Heller. She is just a high school student trying to outwit an adult, after all. This leads to an exciting third act in which the villain always seems to be one step ahead. The climatic battle is surprisingly short, but has a gruesome shot that ties everything up nicely.
Teacher’s Pet is available on Digital and VOD Friday, February 6.
