#SQUAD GOALS/ DEADLY SCHOLARS

US, 2018, 93 minutes, Colour.
Sheryl Lee, Kennedy Lea Slocum, Corey Fogelmanis, Peyton Clark, Alexa Mansour, Paris Berelcl, Eric Stanton Betts, Sherri Saum.
Directed by Danny J.Boyle.

This is a murder mystery designed for high school students, written with them in mind, less sophisticated than an adult murder mystery (and the misreading of the screenplay and the target audience by bloggers).

This is a California high school, the central character, Sam, new to the school, but interested in journalism, writing for the magazine. She teams up with Nate, an inveterate photographer, snapping shots at every moment. Together they make an investigative team. (In the past, it was Nancy Drew style.) Sam has a best friend, Gillian, who is also infatuated with Nate. The other close member of the group is Rudy.

When the actor playing Romeo dies in rehearsal performance, it is considered an accident because of his peanut allergy. The amateur detectives get clues, check the lipstick which was on the lips of Juliet, Rudy doing a laboratory analysis, finding peanuts there. The next victim is the leader of the cheerleaders of the school, the girlfriend of the top sportsmen – but, a secret is revealed there.

The principal is very uptight about her school. Sam’s mother (Sheryl Lee from Twin Peaks) is a school counsellor.

The police do not seem to be interested, so the youngsters do their investigations. As we watch, get clues to exclude suspects, it is not difficult to spot the killer.

1. A murder mystery? In a high school? Designed and written for an audience of high school teenagers?

2. The characters, the relationships, friendships, jealousies, the deaths, the investigations, the role of the principal, the Counsellor, the inactivity of the police?

3. The Californian high school, classrooms, theatre and rehearsals, sports, activity centres? Laboratories? The musical score?

4. Samantha, age, experience, six months at the school, her mother the Counsellor? Her friendship with Nate? His forever taking photos? Friendship with Gillian? The friendship with Rudy? The discussions, the school magazine, reporting, writing stories, photographs?

5. Romeo and Juliet, the death scene, Jordan and his death? The principal and her reaction, wanting to contain the story? The press? Her relying on Sam’s mother? Secrecy, professionalism?

6. The reaction of the students? Sam and the investigation, the interviews? Nate and the photos? Brittany, cheerleader, relationship with Lance, the photo, her disappointment, showing the photo to Sam, her death, falling out the window? The later revelation of her being stabbed? The interview with Lance, sport, basketball, the photo, his relationship with Jordan, the photo on all the lockers? His moving?

7. Gillian, friendship, attracted to Nate? Close but sometimes on the periphery? The information given to Sam?

8. Rudy, self-assured, his father, needing the scholarship, throwing the party, the drink, the police reaction? Brittany’s death? The knife in his locker? The analysis of the lipstick for peanut? His being arrested?

9. Sam, her mother, her mother giving her the warnings, not to investigate?

10. The issue of scholarships, Gillian wealthy and not needing one? The final list, people dropping off, the final three?

11. The award to Sam, for dividing it with Nate and Rudy?

12. The high school Nancy Drew, the investigations, the clues, the final set up with Gillian, Nate recording her, the fight, the solution?