A pretentious patriarch, a dead child, a mysterious novel, and a stranger in the house, Alice Troughton’s The Lesson is a (very) slow-burn psychological drama film; some may even say a thriller about a young and aspiring author. The film is fairly short and intrigues with its beautiful landscapes and alluring home decor, keeping one on the edge (if that’s your thing). Liam Sommers is invited as a live-in tutor to his favorite author’s home. Overjoyed, Liam takes on the job and finds himself in a gorgeous estate with a lake and a beautiful backyard, where he tutors Bertie, the high schooler that he’s meant to get into Oxford University. The film relies heavily on tropes and ends up being quite predictable by the end.

Spoilers Ahead

Liam And Bertie’s Relationship

A lot of The Lesson goes into building a trustworthy relationship between Liam, our desperate protagonist,...