The Skulls (PG-13, 2000)

In this thriller, college student Luke (Joshua Jackson) wants to get into Harvard Law School so desperately that he joins a secret society called the Skulls. Everything starts out fine, and Luke enjoys the perks, but when his roommate dies and it's deemed a suicide, Luke begins to suspect the society has a hand in it and embarks on a dangerous investigation.

Veteran director Rob Cohen keeps THE SKULLS moving, even when the action stops making sense. Adults may become impatient with the many lapses in logic. However, this is a thriller for teens. The main character learns that money and power at the expense of friendship isn't worth it--not such a bad message during a time when wealth is seen as the ultimate, if not only, barometer of success.

One fifteen-year-old female viewer liked the two friends Luke leaves behind the best: fellow rower and outsider Will, whose murder sparks Luke's turnaround, and the girl upstairs, Chloe. Will is a strong, if briefly developed African-American character, and Chloe turns out to be one tough woman, planning getaways and out-driving killer SUVs. But even the fifteen-year-old saw where the plot went awry. The scene in which Luke goes from a thorazine coma to fighting a duel exasperated her, but it didn't dampen her overall enthusiasm. Bottom line: The glossy visuals, intriguing settings, and action in The Skulls may help teens forget that all the plot twists add up to a pretzel.

Studio: Newmarket Film Group
Director: Rob Cohen
Cast: Joshua Jackson, Leslie Bibb, Paul Walker
Genre: Thriller
Run time: 107 minutes
Theatrical release: October 24, 2000
DVD release: October 24, 2000
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: violence and brief sexuality