Episode 5 of School Tales the Series Season 1 introduces us to Tim and Ping, two students of an all-boys school. The greatest bane of their existence? The formidable teacher Waiwan.
The students, especially Tim and Ping, like to make fun of her for her mean-tempered spirit. They fantasize about her downfall–but not so much that they want her dead!
It’s a shock, then, when Tim and Ping come across Waiwan’s headless body. She’s not out to get them, like they think initially. She just wants their help in finding her head. All she knows is that it’s somewhere cold.
Initially, the boys suspect cook Aunty Noy, who owed Waiwan money, to have killed her and kept her head. Then, they investigate Janitor Rhang. It’s while they’re looking into his storage that they find Waiwan’s head.
Just then, however, Teacher Nop shows up. He tries to capture the students and Waiwan’s zombie body, but they manage to knock him out and tie him up.
Waiwan is able to reconnect her head to her body, and the memories of how she was killed come rushing back to her.
At the school, after dark, she discovered Nop trying to molest a student. When she confronted him, he pushed her down and slit her throat. When trying to bury her, he accidentally severed her head from her body. So, when she woke up, she didn’t know where her head was.
In the end, Tim and Ping apologize to Teacher Waiwan for not being so nice to her. They’ve learned that, underneath her harsh exterior, she was hiding a heart of gold.
Directed by Phontharis Chotkusadarsopon, episode 5 of the horror anthology has more bark than bite–and more contrived comedy than horror.
The opening sequence may at first delude one into thinking this is going to be a serious episode, but “Headless Teacher” quickly pulls the veil back to reveal a melodramatic horror comedy. Unfortunately, the overstated comedic delivery combined with the solemn inclusion of attempted child molestation make this episode cringeworthy and tonally inconsistent.
If you’re looking for a horror short that’s goofier than it is scary, you might give this one a try. Otherwise, this left me scratching my head, wondering what the point was.