Brad Pitt made his film starring debut in the 1989 slasher Cutting Class, which is now available to stream legally for free on Plex.
The horror feature provides movie fans with their first opportunity to see Pitt in a leading role, although he completed another feature a year earlier that suffered a delayed release.
Before securing his lead role in the film, the future Hollywood star built his early career through television commercials and small background roles. During one job as an extra, Pitt was nearly fired after attempting to seek extra attention on camera.
Cutting Class follows the established rules of the slasher film genre. The story relies on a series of deaths carried out in various ways by a serial killer whose true identity remains hidden until the final minutes of the movie.
Early acting career of Brad Pitt
In Cutting Class, Pitt plays Dwight Ingalls, one of two young men pursuing a female student named Paula Carson. While Pitt had previously appeared in several television projects, this 1989 release provided one of his first opportunities in a major role for a commercially released film.
Prior to working on Cutting Class, Pitt had already filmed a leading role in the drama The Dark Side of the Sun. However, that earlier project was not released until many years later, making Cutting Class his first starring appearance that audiences actually saw in cinemas.
Pitt later became one of the most prominent actors in global cinema, earning Academy Awards for his work in major Hollywood productions. In 1989, his performance as high school student Dwight Ingalls introduced viewers to his early screen acting.
Plot of the 1989 horror movie Cutting Class
The plot of Cutting Class is set in a high school where a series of murders begins to take place. The killings start following the return of Brian Woods, a young man who has just been released from a psychiatric hospital after the suspicious death of his father.
Paula Carson, the other main protagonist in the story, finds herself caught between Brian and Dwight as the killings continue. As more deaths occur around the school, identifying who is truly behind the murders becomes increasingly difficult.
Cast and crew of Cutting Class
Cutting Class was directed by filmmaker Rospo Pallenberg. In addition to Pitt, the cast includes veteran actors Roddy McDowall and Martin Mull in supporting roles.
Pallenberg was known for his work as a screenwriter on notable films, while McDowall was an established actor with a career spanning classic cinema and television. Mull brought a background in American television comedy to his appearance in the film.
While Cutting Class is not regarded as a lost masterpiece of 1980s horror, it offers sufficient entertainment for viewers looking to pass the time. Today, the primary appeal of the movie is seeing a very young Brad Pitt at the start of his career.
Where to watch Cutting Class on streaming
Viewers can watch Cutting Class for free on the digital streaming service Plex. The platform offers the movie in English with English subtitles.
The film is also available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. However, the listing on Amazon Prime Video only provides audio options in Castilian Spanish.
