The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) User Reviews

It's supposed to be disturbing.

[thoseindifferentclocks · 8/10 · 18 October 2018]

I've never reviewed a film on IMDb but this felt necessary, because a lot of you completely miss the point. There's a difference between an honest look at mental Illness and validating the actions of a mentally ill person. This movie in no way says that what the title character is doing okay. It just had you watch the behavior and judge it as you will.

This is a sad story. As an artist, poet and highly creative person, it made me think about how difficult it is when we only value one type of intelligence or life experience. It does have psycho sexual themes but there's a difference between elevating /romanticizing a child, lack of boundaries, and being a pedophile.

It's uncomfortable, yeah. But obsession is. And obsession dissnr have to equate to sexual desire. The little boy in this story is not sexualized.

an essay in psychotic obsession

[CineMuseFilms · 8/10 · 25 June 2018]

One of the holy grails of film is openness to varied interpretation. Despite its implied narrative unity, The Kindergarten Teacher (2017)is as open-ended as they come. What appears to be a predictable story of a bored 40-something teacher looking for self-actualisation slowly takes on dark themes of psycho-sexual obsession and acts of criminality.

Deep in a marital and career rut, kindergarten teacher Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal) craves more than life has offered. Her teenage kids prefer social media than listening to her admonishments and her tolerant husband Grant (Michael Chernus) cannot understand why she is so restless. To ease her sexual and career frustration, Lisa attends an evening poetry class to immerse herself in literary beauty, hoping to become a writer despite a paucity of talent.

Her dreams are answered in the strangest of ways. One day in kindergarten, she overhears five-year old Jimmy (Parker Sevak) spontaneously create a short poem. To Lisa, this is an epiphany: if she cannot find great writing within, then her gift is to recognise sycg prodigious talent. She plagiarises Jimmy's poem and her evening class and teacher are impressed. Believing that only she can save Jimmy's talent from obscurity, she becomes obsessed with the boy and ingratiates herself into his broken family life.

This storyline description does not come close to capturing how disturbing Lisa's behaviour becomes. Today's global awareness of child abuse has rewritten the rules of how an adult can relate to a child. At first imperceptibly then manifestly obvious, Lisa bends then breaks all the rules for child contact. Her physical touch, excessive attention, and taking him where others cannot see, gradually dial-ups audience levels of discomfort. When Jimmy's father withdraws him from the kindergarten because of Lisa's behaviour, her complete breakdown and subsequent responses make it impossible to predict where her obsession might lead.

There are many horror and thriller films that pale alongside The Kindergarten Teacher: it is a superb example of how less can be more in filmmaking. Reliance on ambiguity and audience imagination creates a tense psycho-drama on the nature of psychotic obsession. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives an extraordinary yet understated performance; she dominates every scene and exudes normality with just a hint of madness. Young Parker Sevak is amazing in his innocence and bewilderment over the fuss he seems to cause. Tight direction keeps the narrative moving forward with well-measured escalating tension until it is impossible to guess what will happen next in this low-key but highly disturbing film.

Nurturing a Kindergarten Wunderkind

[tigerfish50 · 7/10 · 16 October 2018]

Due to the excellence of its acting, direction and screenplay, 'The Kindergarten Teacher' is frequently uncomfortable to watch. It tells the story of Lisa, who has become constrained by the routine of her job, frustrated with her grouchy teenage kids and bored by an overweight husband. In response, she has enrolled in an adult education poetry writing program to broaden her experience of life. Unfortunately Lisa has little talent herself - and when she overhears one of her young pupils Jimmy composing a short poem, she presents it to her class teacher as her own work. When he expresses admiration for its strong imagery, she decides it's her duty to foster Jimmy's gift, which leads her into dangerous territory after she runs into parental opposition.

It's easy to see the film as a metaphor how yearning for truth and beauty can turn an ordinary person into an outcast, as Lisa's encouragement of Jimmy swiftly bypasses appropriate behavior and becomes obsessive. When Lisa's poetry teacher reprimands her for being a dilettante, he fails to see how she's willing to sacrifice everything for the art she loves, while he uses poetry as a means to seduce his students. At its conclusion, poetry has certainly broadened Lisa's experience of life, but not in a way she might have wished or anticipated.

Fascinatingly Uncomfortable

[ThomasDrufke · 7/10 · 21 October 2018]

What plays out as a drama for the first hour, turns into an uncomfortable thriller, as a down on her luck teacher takes a special interest in a young bright student who has a knack for creating poems far beyond his age. Not seeing a trailer and knowing next to nothing before tuning in, there's never really a key as to where the film is going, both in structure and intention. It keeps you on your toes but it also creates more and more tension and a cringey feeling in your stomach when Maggie Gyllenhaal's 'Lisa' makes each move to get closer to her student. It's icky and both depressing how far she goes to make herself feel accomplished and worth something. So in that sense, this is a fascinating character study of psycho teacher, who just happens to also be incredibly kind and giving.

7.5/10

Complex and fascinating. Maggie Gyllenhaal is amazing

[Red_Identity · 20 October 2018]

Great respect to Maggie Gyllenhaal for taking on this role, it may be the most unique and complex one I've seen this year, and she does it justice and then some. It's an incredibly complicated role, one that could have been played in so many ways, and she delivers a tour de force.

A fascinating drama that really makes you think

[themadmovieman · 7/10 · 8 November 2018]

This is a fascinating film, although not one that immediately appears as such. The Kindergarten Teacher is a patient and slow-moving watch, but it's one that creates an enthralling tension beneath the surface, as we see rather bizarre but fairly innocent behaviour get more and more out of hand, furthered by a riveting social perspective that adds a brilliant emotional depth to the main characters.

So, the main thing to know is that if you watch The Kindergarten Teacher, it's not a film that will come to you in the first ten minutes. In fact, it's all a little strange over the course of the first act, as we see Maggie Gyllenhaal's character being bizarrely obsessed with a five year old boy, yet with the story presenting it as if there's nothing abnormal about what's going on.

However, the story really does come good in the latter stages (which I will get into), but that doesn't mean that it's a boring watch early on either.

Above all, Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance is what makes The Kindergarten Teacher work right the way through, as she gives a down-to-earth and thoroughly convincing portrayal of a clearly kind-hearted woman, yet is able to subtly create a certain tension and unpredictability about her over the course of the first act - getting a little too close to her student, and coming out with rather uncharacteristic hippie-esque soundbites - something that really intrigued me as her character's true nature becomes clear throughout.

It's an undoubtedly excellent performance, and Gyllenhaal gives it the ambiguity and tension that the film really needs to make its central themes work.

Now, while that tension and uncertainty grows and grows as the teacher's behaviour becomes ever more bizarre, the film introduces some really fascinating central ideas that lend a stunning emotional depth to our main character, as well as the story as a whole.

At first, you're left a little bemused as to why this woman is acting in such a strange way, but there's a riveting peeling back of the layers throughout that show the stress and disappointment in her own life that has eventually led her to this point.

In that, the film has a little bit of a commentary on the nature of mid-life crises, while also bringing the widely relatable notion of feeling disappointed at your own failures, as we see a woman with ambition and a wider appreciation for the world, and yet has come up short time and time again, further frustrated by the rest of the world's seeming apathy towards the finer things of life, as she sees her own failings mirrored in the potential future of a young boy.

What's even more interesting about those central themes, however, is that they can be interpreted in a variety of ways, largely depending on how optimistic or pessimistic you are towards the nature of art and poetry, as well as your own personal take on ambitions and purpose in life in general.

As a result, The Kindergarten Teacher isn't a film that spoonfeeds you with a narrative showing our main character as simply good or bad, but instead makes you think with a more ambiguous portrayal, leaving you to fall back on your own interpretations to make a judgment of your own, something that I found absolutely fascinating and incredibly rewarding come the end of the film.

Overall, I was really rather impressed by The Kindergarten Teacher. It starts off in bizarre fashion, and although its main thematic core doesn't really come about until about halfway, there's a riveting dramatic tension that bubbles right from the start thanks to Maggie Gyllenhaal's fantastic performance, culminating in a drama that's both enthralling, and really makes you think.

Fantastic lead performance carries this disturbing, slow-burn thriller

[starboy_1701 · 9/10 · 16 October 2018]

Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a stellar performance in The Kindergarten Teacher. This movie was a touch watch, but it was oh-so-worth it. It was very slow and methodical. I'm laughing at all the one-three star reviews because it's clearly people who were on their phone half the time or just haven't ever seen a movie which actually makes them feel something for a change. I don't normally post reviews because why should anyone care about my opinion, but I couldn't let this great movie get bogged down by fools who coooompletely missed the point the movie was trying to get across.

Touching and intriguing portrait, but missing in excellence, because of a lack of credibility at certain crucial plot turns.

[imseeg · 7/10 · 14 September 2019]

Gentle and subtle portrait of a kindergarten schoolteacher (Maggie Gylenhaal) who discovers a child prodigy with an extra ordinary poetry talent.

What makes this movie interesting is not the success story of this child's talent, but the many failures the kindergarten teacher herself has suffered in her life, in trying to become a good writer. Now she wants to own this kid's talent, compensating for her own shortcomings in writing.

It is an intriguing, subtle picture, worthwhile watching, yet missing in excellence, because of a lack of credibility of the story at certain crucial plot turns. This story is not very believable near the end, and as a result, the drama starts lacking as well.

For example: I simply can not believe any schoolteacher would go as far as taking one of her schoolkids to her own house and letting him stay overnight, without alerting the parents first.

Therefore the biggest downfall of this story is that it lacks in a believable plot turn at a crucial dramatic moment near the end.

Dont get me wrong, the end is beautiful allright, but it fizzles out a bit as well. Such a shame, because this story had all the ingredients in becoming a gem.

It is still a very interesting, touching picture, definitely worthwhile watching, but it unfortunately is missing in excellence...

Painfully telling of the society we live in. Powerful stuff.

[jackgdemoss · 8/10 · 24 October 2018]

The 6.7/10 on IMDb is disappointing to me. This film is not exactly the genre I am typically drawn too, but it proceeded to instantly peek my interest by performing well fundamentally. The score was eerie when it needed to be, and it was chipper and enticing the rest of the time. There was nothing crazy in this film and it had no huge plot twists, but that didn't stop it from building and building until I just couldn't wait to see what happened next. The characterization was what really made The Kindergarten Teacher shine. Only two characters really needed development, and they got ALL of it. I was enthralled in their relationship. Give this film a chance even if you are not a fan of dramas.

A Great Portrayal of an Unlikeable Character

[kjproulx · 6/10 · 15 November 2018]

Throughout the history of cinema, critics have made arguments for actors and actresses making bad films into good ones or vice versa, but I haven't had many of those experiences, personally. If a film is bad, it's within the filmmaking itself and the screenplay. A bad performance doesn't make a fantastic film automatically terrible in my opinion, but I can admit when a mediocre movie is accented by a stellar lead performance. While I didn't dislike The Kindergarten Teacher, I have to admit that it was a slightly frustrating experience. Due to how I felt the movie played out as a whole, I can't quite give this one a glaring recommendation, but if you're a fan of the dramatic genre, you may find yourself enjoying it more than myself. Here's why I can admit this is a very well-done movie, but why it didn't quite sit well with me.

Following Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a teacher who believes one of her young students may be gifted, The Kindergarten Teacher is truly about the fact that this woman has conflicted emotions toward the entire situation. Young Jimmy Roy is the centrepiece for this story and although their scenes together are easily the best in the movie, the third act of this film feels very odd. Without ruining anything, this story takes a turn that had me strongly disliking the actions of the main character in Lisa, which left me not caring about any of the consequences in the final few moments. This film started out strong but lost my interest by the final act, and that's pretty much the opposite of what you'd want a movie to do. For that reason alone, my enthusiasm for this film is not very high.

Although I haven't seen Maggie Gyllenhaal's filmography to the point of saying I'm a huge fan of hers, her performance here is on the verge of incredible. As I mentioned, I thoroughly disliked her character, but that's also due to her fantastic performance. Whether she was at home with her boring husband and kids or sitting in class and making you hate her actions, I was enthralled by the way she was bringing this character to life. I can't see the movie itself being considered for many awards this year, but if for nothing else, this performance definitely deserves some attention by voters.

Having a child prodigy as the central focus of your film has always been an intriguing plot device in my opinion. There are so many ways your story can take a dramatic turn, but when the turn it takes is to simply exploit the talents of a young child for personal gain, I found that to be extremely distasteful as a premise. I understand that's what writer/director Sara Colangelo was going for (and quite well if I may add), but even though something is well made, it doesn't automatically make me enjoy what I'm watching.

In the end, The Kindergarten Teacher starts off as a very strong drama with believable performances all around and quite solid direction, but it spirals out of control by the third act. My personal feelings about the way this film ends may be getting the better of me here, but it's really hard to ignore how strongly I felt about a few moments that affected my overall enjoyment. I can clearly see the effort that went into this film and some viewers may love every bit of this movie, so I'll give it a mild recommendation with an asterisk on the conclusion of the movie. Due to the talent on and off the screen, I am slightly disappointed with how I feel about this movie overall.

One note theme with ridiculous plot devices

[objviewer · 4/10 · 12 January 2019]

Yeah, I get it - lady is bitter and blames "the world" she never achieved her artistic potential. Then creepily pivots to a fixation on a supposed unappreciated child prodigy - at ..... poetry. I could just never swallow this plot device that a 5 year old would have the emotional depth (that only comes from experience) to write the kind of poems he supposedly wrote. Was waiting for the big reveal that he was actually reciting what he read somewhere and only someone kind of crazy could believe he wrote them. Nope. The movie has just one note; her self-centered obsession. That's it. No character arc, no epiphany, just this annoying, delusional woman with no self-awareness. Coulda shown that in 15 min.

Sad, pensive, haunting

[grainonbeach · 8/10 · 26 May 2019]

Here, I will offer my feelings, rather than a pure review.

When the movie ended, I felt sad. I could relate to the teacher (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) and felt sad that the boy's genius would disappear, unshared with the world. Clearly, the teacher had psychological issues and did inappropriate things in trying to share the boy's talents with the world.

If Mozart were not given the chance to make music or if Michelangelo were deprived his artistic expression, would you feel that the world was less enriched? If you could intervene and change that...

I felt sad for the teacher -- who lacked talent and desperately wanted meaning and validation in her life. I felt sad for the child -- whose parents were doing what they thought was best, but ultimately were prejudiced by their own worldview. I felt sad for the teacher as a mother -- as her children seemed very "normal," and she couldn't fulfill her passions through them.

At the end of the movie, when the police officer ignored that the child said that he had a poem, the viewer can see how most people only see or care about things that directly concern them, blinding them to treasures right in front of them, resulting in, this case, the loss of literary gems.

Perhaps because I have no talent in poetry, I could relate to the teacher even more.

When the teacher cheated on her husband, I felt sad, instead of shock or indignation. I felt her loneliness, her disconnection with her children, and the "settled," but not passionate, relationship with her husband.

One aspect that detracted from the movie (to me) was the boy's acting, which seemed artificial. But, I haven't met many child prodigies, so his performance may be spot on.

The movie is about us: we, in our own way, are crazy, self-absorbed, self-centered, desperate, self-righteous, searching for meaning-love-validation, etc. Desperation can drive any of us to do crazy things.

This movie is haunting...when we recognize that it is about us, whether we share characteristics with the teacher and/or some of the other characters.

Say "yes", anyway.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 6/10 · 12 March 2019]

'The Kindergarten Teacher (2018)' is a pretty consistently unsettling experience. Of course, that's by design. It tells the tale of teacher who becomes obsessed with her young student due to his poetry prowess, tackling a bevy of themes in the process. The lead character isn't necessarily 'likeable' but she's certainly understandable; her desires come from a relatively reasonable place - though she obviously takes things too far - and she always feels as though she's doing the right thing. The boundaries she crosses are made all the more uncomfortable for an outside viewer because you don't know her true intentions and, as an audience member, you're constantly kept at just the right distance to be able to question them - though, ultimately, you're given a firm understanding. It is important to state that she doesn't want to harm the child, which is why you can engage with her as a protagonist; her actions may inadvertently be doing so - or heading down that path, at least - which clearly prevents her from being a traditional 'hero'. In fact, I'd wager that most people won't be 'on her side' by the film's finale. Regardless of this, the picture clearly wants to make its central conceit, or debate, seem valid, in the sense that it needs you to believe our protagonist is, in some ways, 'right'. It doesn't quite achieve this, however, because every time she posits her (and, by extension, the movie's) world-view, she comes across as pretentious as opposed to 'enlightened'. She's so caught up in her own small mindset when it comes to what she considers 'cultured' that all of her related pondering and 'talking down' honestly comes across more as "you don't like what I like just because you're not smart enough to understand it... because social media". Still, this can be seen as more a fault of the protagonist than of the piece itself, even if it does somewhat dampen the story's conceptual through-line and its thematically ambiguous ending. I will also say that the lead, despite everything, is still quite compelling to watch. You're never exactly 'rooting for her' but she is quite a complex character and, as such, is quite a fascination. The whole thing is oddly engaging, if uneasily so. It's not exactly entertaining but it's never boring and, despite its strange pace, it keeps you watching until the end. It's not for everyone, that's for sure. Still, it's an interesting flick with a unique premise and a solid execution. 6/10

The Kindergarten Teacher - What a creepy teacher!

[brankovranjkovic · 1/10 · 10 March 2019]

Drama, though this is a complementary term.

The 'teacher' grooms a 5 year old child, steals their work, and kidnaps them, cheats on her supportive husband, at the end gives herself up to the authorities.

In my mind the 5 year old didn't have the life experiences to write poetry like that, and in any case it wasn't that good anyway! I'm not a prude but there's unnecessary sex and unnecessary nudity.

The producers had an idea, and it could have worked but it just didn't. Unfortunately the film was shot like a cheap afternoon matinee.

I've endured 2 hours of nonsense so you don't have to, it sent me home with a thumping headache, thanks! I can't give any less than 1/10.

special

[Kirpianuscus · 24 December 2019]

As teacher, I understand Lisa Spinelli . And I admire the brilliant performance of Maggie Gyllenhaal. A teacher can be victim of a sort of passion for the mind of his student and it can perceive him as his clay or marble for a masterpiece. The film is a honest one. A Kindergarten teacher. A special boy . His nunny , his pragmatic father. Her children and their lives. And the too good and soft husband. A film about purpoise of life. Strange for many, because it seems portrait of a psychopat. But, in fact, it is just a pain or loneliness song. A special film, for so many reasons.

An engaging film but flawed

[gregus-45103 · 7/10 · 12 August 2019]

An engaging portrayal of a person who has lived her life in a state of perpetual disappointment and sees in her young student a chance for escape. Her life has never risen above the mediocre and she sees her children as being destined for this same fate. Seeing in her student the greatness that has always eluded her, she attempts to nurture it and live vicariously through his talent. She views capitalism, manifested in the father of her student, as a system that can stifle intellectualism & creativity and it will be his inevitable integration into this system that kills off his innate talent.

Maggie Gyllenhaal delivers a stellar performance and carries the film. Gael Garcia Bernal never manages to elevate his character above the thinly drawn cliché of the sleazy, pretentious professor. The young actor playing Jimmy does an acceptable job, but he is presented as nothing more than a catalyst for the central character's motivations.

However, the action which she takes in the 3rd act, seems, given her motivations, too reckless and stupid. It is never convincing that this character would behave in this manner, which unfortunately means the ending of the film falls flat

DILETTANTE PUPIL

[MadamWarden · 6/10 · 30 March 2022]

An interesting study. Deeply evocative but a very slow burn. Gyllenhaal is excellent and young Jimmy very good.

Honestly quite disturbing on many levels. Not a thriller but certainly a mentally and emotionally provocation of one's sensibilities.

First time I've been compelled to leave a review.

[matrixoziklime-474-747738 · 9/10 · 10 November 2019]

This may be the saddest ending to a movie I've ever seen. Not because the woman was arrested, but the last two lines uttered in the movie. There was no longer someone there to listen. Broke my heart. Great movie.

Interesting and dark

[riebe11 · 7/10 · 17 October 2018]

I was very worried through the movie on whether this teacher student relationship would go too far. I am happy it did not. Although Gyllenhaal's character took special interest in a boy who could recite poetry from his soul, I found her character made me uncomfortable. Which tells me the acting is spot on. Your made to feel uneasy. She did an exceptional job!

Just wow

[shannoncymone · 10/10 · 15 October 2018]

This movie was pretty deep...at first watching it I thought it was pretty weird and def felt like the teacher went to far...but the last scene made it all make sense and solidified exactly why the teacher did what she did (although it still wasn't right) she seen something in the kid and was passionate about his talent. The last scene actually made me cry I'm so sensitive. I just wish she could have handled it differently and not have been so crazy

She is looking for a way to escape from everyday

[musssa-80427 · 7/10 · 23 March 2019]

This is a new American dramatic film of 2008 directed by Sarah Kolandzhelo. Maggie Gyllenhaul starred in the film as a teacher. Jimmy's role played Parker Sevak. The film won an award for best direction at the Independent Film Festival in 2018. This film is about teacher 40 yers old. Liza has a family, but she does not get on well with her children and her husband is boring. She is looking for a way to escape from everyday life. After work Liza visit haiku courses and there she is trying create poetry, but her poetry is banal. Once, when she was at work, she heard her student whisper verse, it impressed her, because the boy to compose it himself and the verse was wonderful. She decides to discover talent, because boy's parents are indifferent to his abilities. I recommend this film. You will get a lot of emotions. This film is intense and holding attention. Your attitude to the characters and the situation will change during the film.

Implausible

[gblake-31676 · 2/10 · 1 November 2018]

It's just not believable that this otherwise dull kid is somehow magically composing poetry that is so adult dealing with adult themes in an adult voice. Yeah there are prodigies but it's just too unbelievable. And the poetry is that annoying overly crafted artsy stuff that overwhelms with the sense of snotty snobby poetry student. I kept waiting to hear that the teacher has been duped and he was reciting his uncle's poems. That at least would have been believable and far more interesting an exploration of the main character and her relationship to kid and her motivations. As it was, it was just a very silly formula that requires a suspension of disbelief that is too tall an order. I'm not a Maggie Glylenhall (sp?) fan. And inevitably we had to have the naked breast shot because that's her and that's her thing. The acting was fine I supppse. The story was just dumb and not believable and abducting a kid because poetry is disturbing as many note. The ending where somehow we are supposed to feel the great tragedy in all his and sympathise with the abductor and the full emotionless kid who spouts these adult poems from who knows where is just too ridiculous.

A little slow but worth it...

[michelle6620 · 9/10 · 17 October 2018]

I watched this because I'm a big Maggie Gyllenhaal fan. I have never been disappointed in anything that she is in. When I saw her promoting this film I just had to see it. I will admit I was ready to give up on the movie after the first 20 minutes but I'm glad I didn't. It is a slow burn as you learn more about this Kindergarten teacher's private life and the nurturing relationship she has with her student. The teacher thinks she has a little Mozart on her hands and this child basically becomes an obsession of hers. This story really stirred a variety of emotions within me. Although my sons are adults now, I couldn't help thinking how I would have felt in a similar situation. This was very well written and Maggie Gyllenhaal's superb acting should earn her an Oscar nomination.

Excellent concept poorly executed.

[hmgoldner · 6/10 · 7 June 2019]

I could watch Maggie Gyllenhaal read the phone book (and sometimes this movie was so slow I felt like I was). The conceit and the flat with this movie is that the child was too young. It was completely unbelievable to the extent that you wanted to smack someone.

Make the child 10 and capable of real dialogue and you have an interesting movie.

This isn't that movie.

Underdeveleped and unrealistic

[dragana_blazevic · 3/10 · 27 December 2019]

And also bore fest. So many reality flaws: which single parent (even dad-)would not raise hell if his 5 year old kid did not sleep at home even one night without his permission, which assistant teacher would not challenge a colleague being at the best weird around just one of her pupils, how did a practically mute and docile kid perform his escape in the last ten minutes of the movie and most of all where can we see/feel/hear the positive signs that this kid is a prodigy( we heard only two of "his poems" which hardly explains teacher's conviction). The separate issue is the cringeyness of teacher-pupil intimacy, just reverse the sexes and the movie would not get beyond the idea trashing.