X
  • 1981
  • R
  • Paramount Pictures
  • 1 h 26 m
  • 1981
  • R
  • Paramount Pictures
  • 1 h 26 m
Student Bodies

Summary A killer named the Breather terrorizes students at a high school. Whenever the killer finds students having sex, he kills them. Murder weapons? Eggplant, paper clips, and, of course, horse-head bookends. He likes to breathe heavily, and he likes to make prank calls while talking through a rubber chicken. He also hates sugarless gum. Wh...

Directed By: Mickey Rose, Michael Ritchie

Written By: Mickey Rose

  • 1981
  • R
  • Paramount Pictures
  • 1 h 26 m
  • 1981
  • R
  • Paramount Pictures
  • 1 h 26 m

Student Bodies

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 4 Critic Reviews
41
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 11 User Ratings
7.3
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary A killer named the Breather terrorizes students at a high school. Whenever the killer finds students having sex, he kills them. Murder weapons? Eggplant, paper clips, and, of course, horse-head bookends. He likes to breathe heavily, and he likes to make prank calls while talking through a rubber chicken. He also hates sugarless gum. Wh...

Directed By: Mickey Rose, Michael Ritchie

Written By: Mickey Rose

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 4 Critic Reviews
41
25% Positive
1 Review
25% Mixed
1 Review
50% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 4 Critic Reviews
41
25% Positive
1 Review
25% Mixed
1 Review
50% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
70
Although it frequently misfires and occasionally keeps firing away on empty satiric chambers, Student Bodies is a likably sarcastic and knowing assault on the cliche's of horror movies. [11 Aug 1981, p.C10]
By Gary Arnold FULL REVIEW
58
What Student Bodies lacks in incisiveness—and laughs, frankly—it makes up in gusto. The advantage of having a creative team drawn from middle-aged pros with decades of industry experience is that they knew how to put together a picture teeming with ideas and shot through with energy.
By Noel Murray FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 11 User Ratings
7.3
64% Positive
7 Ratings
27% Mixed
3 Ratings
9% Negative
1 Rating

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 11 User Ratings
7.3
64% Positive
7 Ratings
27% Mixed
3 Ratings
9% Negative
1 Rating

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
10
MarcDoyle
Feb 11, 2011
One of the funniest movies of all-time. Yes, Airplane created the genre, but Student Bodies made it great. Makes me want to make some horsehead bookends.
Report
9
LamontRaymond
Aug 13, 2010
One of the funniest horror spoofs in history. Boy do I feel like making some horse-head bookends. Eggplant?? Sugarless gum on the stairs. Funerals get me hot. Aces.
Report
30
Student Bodies just slowly topples over as you watch it, like a stand-up comedian in the act of failing.
By Vincent Canby FULL REVIEW
20
The film attempts to mock both slasher movies and the mentality that produces them, but its humor is so sophomoric that it's a little like the pot calling the kettle stupid
FULL REVIEW
See All 4 Critic Reviews
8
Ven-Wede
Jan 10, 2012
Student Bodies is a good example of parody done right. Almost every gag is superbly crafted, with some being so subtle it takes another viewing to notice, and others being so blatant you can't help but giggle. Sure, it's silly, and downright nonsensical in places, but it's all the better for it. Some pacing issues let it down (the bulk of the laughs are in the first two acts), but overall it is certainly worth a watch. Also, the woodwork class and psychiatric evaluation are some of the best written scenes I have seen in a comedy. Check it out.
Report
7
jasonvoorhees20
Sep 13, 2011
came 10 years too soon. also genuinely creepy in places. some irreverent humor recalls Monty python. also a precursor to scream(LOT of similarity) and scary movie series.
Report
4
JLuis_001
Feb 19, 2022
Another one of those cases where the hype for something that comes to be labeled as a classic becomes problematic due to misguided expectations. And believe me, I'm judging based on what I saw, but what I saw was only funny for a minuscule amount of time.
Report
3
Ralfbergs
Oct 1, 2023
I saw this in one of top funny horror movies lists but while it had few funny parody like moments in general it was quite dumb. Maybe of course it already is outdated anyway so that is another reason, but for me it was not that good.
Report
See All 6 User Reviews

Details

 View All
Production Company Allen Smithee Classic Films, Paramount Pictures, Universal Southwest Cinema
Release Date Aug 7, 1981
Duration 1 h 26 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline 13 1/2 Murders + 1423 Laughs = Student Bodies
View All Details

Related Movies

Singin' in the Rain

99
Universal Acclaim

Playtime

99
Universal Acclaim

City Lights

99
Universal Acclaim

The Rules of the Game

99
Universal Acclaim

Pinocchio

99
Universal Acclaim

Some Like It Hot

98
Universal Acclaim

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

97
Universal Acclaim

American Graffiti

97
Universal Acclaim

Toy Story

96
Universal Acclaim

The Shop Around the Corner

96
Universal Acclaim

A Hard Day's Night

96
Universal Acclaim

Nashville

96
Universal Acclaim

The Philadelphia Story

96
Universal Acclaim

Ratatouille

96
Universal Acclaim

The Lady Eve

96
Universal Acclaim

Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World

95
Universal Acclaim

La Dolce Vita

95
Universal Acclaim

Inside Out

94
Universal Acclaim

Sideways

94
Universal Acclaim

Meet Me in St. Louis

94
Universal Acclaim

The Apartment

94
Universal Acclaim

Chimes at Midnight

94
Universal Acclaim

Related News

2024 Movie Release Calendar

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz

Find release dates for every movie coming to theaters, VOD, and streaming throughout 2024 and beyond, updated weekly.

  • movie
Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

With the arrival of Zack Snyder's latest Rebel Moon chapter on Netflix, we rank every one of the director's films—from bad to, well, less bad—by Metascore.

  • movie
Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

We rank every one of the British director's movies by Metascore, from his debut Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels to his brand new film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

  • movie
April Movie Preview (2024)

April Movie Preview (2024)

Keith Kimbell

The month ahead will bring new films from Alex Garland, Luca Guadagnino, Dev Patel, and more. To help you plan your moviegoing options, our editors have selected the most notable films releasing in April 2024, listed in alphabetical order.

  • movie
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Jason Dietz

Find a list of new movie and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray (updated weekly) as well as a calendar of upcoming releases on home video.

  • movie