Detention of the Dead 2013

As high school student Eddie (Jacob Zachar) arrives at Lincoln High School’s after-school detention, he’s greeted by a familiar mix of faces: Janet (Christa B. Allen), the perky cheerleader who unwittingly holds his affections; Brad (Jayson Blair), the cocky jock with a penchant for bullying and ROTC ambitions; Jimmy (Max Adler), Brad’s partner in crime and another football enthusiast; Ash (Justin Chon), the free-spirited stoner with a perpetual grin; and Eddie’s trusty sidekick Willow (Alexa Nikolas), a goth with a shared love for zombie movies. As they settle into their assigned seats, Ash makes an ill-advised attempt to peddle drugs to Mark (Joseph Porter), a quiet student who seems more troubled than initially meets the eye.

Ash’s hasty retreat from the situation is prompted by Mark’s sudden erratic behavior, which culminates in him biting Mrs. Rumblethorp (Michele Messmer) and sending the group scurrying for cover. As they flee the detention room, Eddie implores their teacher to maintain a safe distance from Mark, but his warnings go unheeded. The chaos that ensues is only a harbinger of the apocalyptic events that are about to unfold. In the school’s deserted corridors, the group stumbles upon a scene of utter carnage: students gone rogue, now shambling undead hordes.

With no clear escape route in sight, they fortify themselves within the school library, a sanctuary they believe will remain untouched by the mayhem outside. However, their brief respite is shattered when Mrs. Rumblethorp reanimates, forcing them to restrain her and ultimately dispatch her with a paper cutter wielded by Ash.

As the group navigates this surreal landscape, Brad becomes increasingly withdrawn, his demeanor a testament to the hidden bite wound he’s sustained. Tensions rise as they begin to scavenge for information on their predicament, only to be confronted by the school’s librarian, who attacks and infects Jimmy before meeting her demise at Brad’s hands.

Eddie and Willow engage in a heated debate over the fate of their friend, with Eddie advocating for Jimmy’s immediate termination to prevent him from joining the ranks of the undead. Brad, however, remains optimistic that his friend can overcome his bite. But as Jimmy accepts his mortality and leaps out the window, he becomes a snack for the very zombies they’ve been trying to evade.

As the group’s anxiety reaches a fever pitch, Ash persuades them to partake in some calming cannabis, which unexpectedly fosters a sense of camaraderie among the unlikely bunch. As they share stories and open up about their high school personas, old stereotypes are shattered: there’s Eddie, the book-smart overachiever; Willow, the gothic outsider; Janet, the self-absorbed cheerleader; Brad, the cocky jock; and Ash, the laid-back stoner. The group’s bonding session is short-lived, however, as they’re suddenly beset by a terrifying revelation: Eddie reveals he’s been carrying a gun to cope with his rejection from Harvard University, and the group is subsequently attacked by hordes of undead zombies.

With their precarious situation further complicated by a broken barricade, Brad, Willow, and Ash decide to make a desperate bid for freedom through the school’s ventilation system. Meanwhile, Eddie and Janet remain behind in the library, unaware of the horrors that await them. As the trio navigates the treacherous ductwork, they stumble upon zombified rodents feasting on Ash’s dismembered limbs before the vent collapses, leaving Willow and Brad stranded in the school’s labyrinthine corridors.

As chaos reigns supreme, Janet convinces Eddie to fulfill her long-held desires, only for their intimate moment to be brutally interrupted by the arrival of Willow and Brad. Back inside the library, Willow is shocked to discover Eddie’s true intentions with Janet, just as the group’s defenses begin to crumble in the face of an unrelenting zombie onslaught. In a desperate bid to escape, Brad succumbs to his own infection and attacks Janet, who manages to fend him off before sending him tumbling out a nearby window.

As the group fights for survival, they stumble upon a makeshift cart constructed by Eddie from library materials. The survivors engage in a harrowing battle through the school’s corridors, ultimately reaching the gymnasium. As they ascend a ladder to reach the roof, Janet is bitten by a zombie and realizes her fate is sealed. In a heart-wrenching plea, she begs Willow to end her suffering, but their moment of silence is shattered by an onslaught of zombies. The zombified Brad attacks his former companions, prompting Janet to make the ultimate sacrifice: she pushes herself and Brad off the roof, sacrificing her own life to save her friends.

As the group mourns its losses, they’re suddenly confronted by a military unit that descends upon the school. The undead hordes are vanquished, and Eddie and Willow emerge as survivors, sharing their first kiss amidst the devastation. However, just as they’re about to return home, a zombified Janet reappears, only to be dispatched by the military’s withering fire, thereby saving Eddie from certain infection and allowing him and Willow to make their way back home in peace.