Both movies glamorize substance abuse. They showcase obscene language.
Authority figures take a beating.
But the most distressing similarity between these competing R-rated films is how they're both luring untold numbers of teens into theaters. It addresses abstract social issues as only science fiction can. Killing these infected educators in gruesome fashion becomes the ultimate retaliation for pop quizzes and too much homework. His vials of homemade white powder turn out to be the only thing that can kill the aliens-and snorting the contents is the only way the teens can prove to each other that they're still human. It's a disturbing metaphor for young people using drugs to silence personal demons and bond with disenfranchised peers.