Agreed

Wow I can't believe how many threads are discussing the ending on here. I personally just thought the whole movie was absolute garbage and the ending just topped it off.
The character development was non-existent, it displayed some atrocious acting skills (the security guard in particular) and had as much tension as a late night episode of Hollyoaks.
If it wasn't for the ending this movie would have just disappeared into obscurity but the director must be thanking his lucky stars that he chose to end it the way he did because at least people are coming on here to discuss it.
I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that the ending was deliberately left open for interpretation, but if the rest of the movie is anything to go by I think it was more a case of lazy writing and lack of budget. I think people are reading way too much into it in looking for something more from the ending than what we're presented with.
The script had way too many cop out moments to explain some questionable plot holes. Oh the daughter had to stay a whole HOUR late after school, that's why it was pitch black outside, even though if it was only what 4.30? Oh the security guard is the stereotypical lazy dumbass which is why he never once looks at the CCTV footage until he's told to or why he doesn't seem the least bit concerned about his colleague never returning from his cigarette break. Oh the cops didn't take the phone call seriously that's why they weren't armed at all. I could go on.
There would have to be one hell of an explanation as to why these kids crawl around like catwoman in these magical hoodies that shield their whole faces and I honestly think the director thought it was just easier not to bother with one at all!

Yeah I have to agree, Personally I really enjoyed the film, I thought the idea was great behind it and it was different to most horrors these days, But the end ruined it for me, it would have been nice to either see that he makes her safe to the hospital, and at least knows whether his wife dies, or at least have known who the hooded kids were, im guessing it was the one who punched him and maybe a few of his friends, but i dunno, still just disappointed with the ending

This was the school version of Assault on Precinct 19. Not in my wildest dreams do I think that old boozer out of shape teacher was the culprit. I think it was just a bunch of nameless faceless hoodlums, like most criminals are. The ending. Well what other way was going to end? His whole reason for not getting out of the school was to save his daughter. And that is what he did.

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Even if it ended with Anderson turning out to be the killer, that twist has all been done before anyway a few times. Off the top of my head 'Shrooms' and 'Hide and Seek' So it was a hopeless venture from the start really. I just thought of another one, American Haunting, correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm glad i'm not the only one that felt miffed at the ending, I sort of predicted it will end leaving a lot of questions unanswered, but not all of them. The films main body was very well shot and it was a great film until the credits start rolling, then it is like the end of a 2 part special.
Since the Greek started writing plays, every good story should have a beginning middle and End, well 2 out of 3 wasn't good enough.
There was no clue or apparent motive of who these hoodies were unless it was just meant to be the faceless youth perceived in the media

With this interpretation that the dad hallucinated it all that means the daughter's asking him to go back in and stab the mother. Or she'll hate him forever.
Yeah, I thin that pretty much blows the hallucination bit out of the water. Even if director's commentary didn't address that the hoodies are in fact real people and that there was a reason they kept them faceless that was totally not related to hallucinations.

The only flaw in that theory is that the daughter wanted her dad to go back in the school to save her mother.

Didn't see it that way while watching it, but now you mention it it's a pretty chilling (and great) take on the film.

Pickled onion flavour Monster Munch. So yes, it was well worth it

What flavour? Hope it was something elaborate like Scampi Fries. It would have been worth the sacrifice.
"Just forget you ever saw it. It's better that way."

Yeah apparently a member of the production crew blew the last part of the budget on a packet of crisps
There are two kinds of people in the world my friend those with loaded guns and those who dig

"They had an ending planned but the budget ran out so they just left it as it was and hoped and prayed that someone would find some meaning to it as it is"
Is this true? It certainly seems that way. I don't buy into any ambiguity in the ending. There is not enough evidence to suggest Anderson was the killer. We see characters surrounded and killed by hoodies. His wife is seen heading towards doom whilst he is driving to the hospital. I think it's clear that the budget didn't stretch and they had to end the film on the spot. It's a shame because this ending has undone any promise in the early scenes.
"Just forget you ever saw it. It's better that way."

They had an ending planned but the budget ran out so they just left it as it was and hoped and prayed that someone would find some meaning to it as it is
There are two kinds of people in the world my friend those with loaded guns and those who dig

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Yes, I just watched it on tv and had just finished writing a comment complaining about the ending as I was also fooled by the 'hoodies'. I have deleted my first message mainly out of embarrassment. I had read someone else's message and after I thought about it I came to the same conclusion as them, and now you. The end doesn't seem quite so bad after all if that's correct!

I've just watched this film on TV here in the UK and as it went along I came to the conclusion that there were no hoodies at all and that it was the teacher who was doing all the killingsanyone ever thought of that? Towards the end where he stabbed a 'hoodie' you saw a knife going in but his daughter got stabbed. It was the teacher who had his back to the hooded phantom not his daughter. So basically I think he had a mental breakdown after his initial assault. Everyone who was murdered never mentioned a hooded character and the school staff didnt like the teacher anyway. In the end he didnt take his daughter to his wife because he knew of the consequences. So i think we were being cleverly tricked into thinking there were hoodies in the school, their faces wernt seen because they were nt there!creepy.

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Yeah I agree. Normally I love "different" endings but this one was too much for me. I just sat there in a daze waiting for something after the credits. Quite odd. I needed some kind of resolution for this one to sit right with me.

spoiler
I got Haute Tension (switchblade romance) on DVD.
Even if Black Christmas 1974 where the heroine, Olivia Hussey may be the culprit, it points to her possible whereabouts and her hallucinations.
But Robert Anderson wasn't not there when the guy was burning in the trash can, because he was in detention with Kate, his Daughter.
Plus he was not bothered with security cameras, so he knows they are recording everything, and the killers concealed their I.D.
I believe it was a organised gang of killer teens that are the vengeful brotherhood. Simple as that.

I thought this too, in particular when Robert stabbed one of the hoodies near the end & the camera cut to his daughter with a stab wound in her stomach. I also thought that when the security guard locked him in the room, the security guard was an accomplice of the hoodies & the whole attack on the school had been part of a plan to set up Robert, perhaps initiated by the headmistress who wanted to sack Robert but couldn't because of intervention by his union.
F not only reminded me of Haute Tension but another French film, Ills (aka Them), highly recommended if you haven't seen it!

Am I the only one who thinks that the teacher is actually the killer who hallucinated lots of it? If you've seen the French slasher HAUTE TENSION I think you'll know what I mean.