Back to School: Five Films Spotlighting Teachers

Back to school season is officially upon us and, whether you’re a former student, still in school, or simply a lifelong learner, this is the perfect time of year to pay tribute to the people who bear the weight of the imperfect education system the most: teachers.

Specifically, the following five films depict unique student-teacher dynamics from the latter’s perspective, a point-of-view often forgotten about in classic coming-of-age stories featuring beloved educators, including (but certainly not limited to): Mr. Anderson in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012); John Keating in Dead Poets Society (1989); and Miss Honey in Matilda (1996). This fall, let’s spotlight teachers in all their complex glory.

Detachment (2011)

A teenage girl and a man lean against a red brick wall. They are outside and it is nighttime. — L-R: Sami Gayle as Erica and Adrien Brody as Henry in *Detachment*. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film.

Directed by English filmmaker Tony Kaye, Detachment (2011) is a psychological drama that follows Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody), an emotionally distant substitute teacher who observes the lives of several teachers, administrators, and students over the course of three weeks.

By far the most depressing film on this list, Detachment has a documentary-like style, taking on many perspectives at a high school on the brink of collapse. While Brody excels in this role—especially alongside younger protagonists like runaway teenager Erica (Sami Gayle) and artistic student Meredith (Betty Kaye)—the sheer amount of POV switches, odd camera work, and a too-often melodramatic script does the film’s heartfelt story of a man trying so hard not to fail the youth in his life absolutely no favors.

With this said, Detachment is still an excellent encapsulation of everything wrong with the public school system—from understaffing to corporatization to poor mental health services—primarily seen through the eyes of a substitute teacher, arguably one of the most underappreciated educators. Those interested in a film that will certainly tug at your heartstrings, however, should be aware of the graphic content depicted and discussed throughout, including sexual violence, abuse, and suicide.

Half Nelson (2006)

A teenage girl and a man sit in a gym. They are inside and it is nighttime. — L-R: Shareeka Epps as Drey and Ryan Gosling as Dan in *Half Nelson*. Photo courtesy of THINKFilm.

Written and directed by American filmmaking duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, Half Nelson (2006) follows Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling), a junior-high history teacher who struggles to conceal his drug addiction from his students, eventually being found out by teenage Drey (Shareeka Epps).

A careful depiction of addiction, mental health, and the isolation that can come from struggling in silence, Half Nelson is a thought-provoking film featuring a (rightfully so) Oscar-nominated performance from Gosling as well as a standout performance from young Epps. Indeed, scenes between these two leads are by far the film’s best as the pair have excellent chemistry while they each battle their own demons and attempt to protect one another from spilled secrets and bad influences.

While more time could’ve been spent exploring Dan’s dedication to his students (rather than on his failed romantic pursuits), Half Nelson is a solid debut feature from the minds most recently behind Freaky Tales (2024) as well as an excellent depiction of a lonely high school teacher trying to make a difference, however small, in his students’ lives, all while he fights to take control of his own.

The Kindergarten Teacher (2018)

A woman and a young boy sit on green benches. They are inside and it is nighttime. — L-R: Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lisa and Parker Sevak as Jimmy in *The Kindergarten Teacher*. Photo courtesy of Netflix.

Co-written and directed by American filmmaker Sara Colangelo and based on the 2014 film of the same name by Nadav Lapid, The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) follows Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a Staten Island teacher who grows obsessed with the poetic talent of her 5-year-old student Jimmy (Parker Sevak).

Unlike the other educators highlighted on this list, Lisa Spinelli is undoubtedly the villain of her story. It’s how she gets here that proves the most captivating aspect of this frankly disturbing film about an unsatisfied woman projecting her own insecurities onto an unsuspecting little boy. Gyllenhaal plays this unsettling character to perfection alongside adorable Sevak whose poetic trances leave the audience almost as spellbound as Lisa herself.

While the film awkwardly teeters between absurdism and realism—never fully committing to a tone befitting the sensitive topics alluded to throughout the narrative—The Kindergarten Teacher is a fascinating exploration of nature versus nurture, selfishness versus selflessness, and the lies we tell ourselves in the name of cultivating talent.

A Poet (2025)

A man sits next to a teenage girl. The caption reads "Do you also live in profound sadness?" They are outside and it is daytime. — L-R: Ubeimar Rios as Oscar and Rebeca Andrade as Yurlady in *A Poet*. Photo courtesy of 1-2 Special.

Written and directed by Colombian filmmaker Simón Mesa Soto, A Poet (2025) is a dark comedy that follows Oscar (Ubeimar Rios), an aging poet who finds purpose mentoring a talented teenager Yurlady (Rebeca Andrade), until exposing her to the local poetry scene takes a turn for the worst. Witty and full of heart, A Poet is a love letter to poetry, the joy of unexpected mentorship, and the consequences that can come from misusing young talent for financial gain.

The film’s mostly unknown cast have out-of-this-world chemistry with one another, especially Rios, Andrade, and Alisson Correa, who plays Oscar’s estranged daughter. Furthermore, A Poet looks absolutely incredible, quiet moments of Oscar and Yurlady bathing in the sunlight—the physical embodiment of poetry—beautifully put to film by Columbian-German cinematographer Juan Sarmiento G., best known for his work on The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025).

The newest film on this list, A Poet will make you laugh and cry all within the span of one scene, a rare feat to behold for such an absurd film, especially as its hopeless, yet strangely relatable protagonist battles alcoholism, depression, and writer’s block, risking it all to win back his daughter’s and his student’s trust.

Blue Jean (2022)

A woman looks at a teenage girl in a bathroom mirror. They are inside and it is nighttime. — L-R: Rosy McEwen as Jean and Lucy Halliday as Lois in *Blue Jean*. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Written and directed by British filmmaker Georgia Oakley, Blue Jean (2022) follows the titular Jean (Rosy McEwen), a PE teacher in ‘80s Newcastle forced to conceal her sexuality from almost everyone she knows until a new student named Lois (Lucy Halliday) threatens to expose it all.

What’s not to love about Blue Jean? The BAFTA-nominated directorial debut is indeed a quiet masterpiece, carefully tackling themes of LGBTQ+ acceptance, forbidden desire, and the dangerous roles of censorship and fearmongering in and out of school. McEwen is a phenomenal Jean, wracked with guilt and shame as she struggles to shepherd Lois, a bullied, yet headstrong girl excellently played by The Testaments’ Halliday.

Tender and underrated, Blue Jean is a perfect celebration of teachers and everything they must endure in the name of preparing the youth for the cruel, beautiful world before them.