Teaching Mrs. Tingle

_Teaching Mrs. Tingle_ is a difficult movie to categorize: On paper, it's a horror movie. It has funny moments, yet it's not a comedy. Simply put, this is a teen movie. Seeing as how that doesn't begin to describe anything, let's call this a drama. The story itself is far from complicated: three teens inadvertently take their termagant teacher captive, the titular Tingle - played perfectly by Helen Mirren; she's absolutely the glue holding this all together. Given some of the other names here (e.g., Ringwald, Fox, McKean, Tambor) one would think this is working off the ensemble, but it really is just our trio, and Mirren. The movie is great fun while you're watching it, but once it was over, my only thought was "and there were no consequences." So, much like Mrs. Tingle, I can't give this a higher grade. Ironic, no? Am I using that word correctly? Ah, who cares? I could see this movie mattering greatly to anyone who saw it upon release, as sheer nostalgia. Outside of that, I just don't see this as important at all. If you are a giant fan of Mirren or Holmes, give it a watch. Otherwise, pass.

It's passable, but it's one of the lesser from the crop of the late 90s teen thrillers. But it's snappy, light viewing.