Dismissed | Film Review

Hey Guys x

This is a movie that I haven't really heard many people talking about, but it's on Netflix, so if you feel like watching it after my review, give it a try!

Teacher, Mr. Butler (Kent Osborne), has a job that he likes, a possible promotion in sight, a wife that he loves, and a new baby. However, when he meets straight-A student Lucas Ward (Dylan Sprouse), he finds his seemingly perfect life spiralling out of control.

I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I thought I would.

It was sinister from the offset. You know that something strange is going to happen the second you set eyes on Lucas, and this works to the film's advantage. You can never quite trust him, even when you have every reason to.

The story-line is predictable in the sense that 'smart kid will do anything to get into a good college' has been done many times before, but this is an original take on that trope, and it's done really well because you know that he really will go to any lengths.

Mr. Butler is a great, realistic character. He's just an ordinary man, going about his usual business, when he finds himself completely out of his depth. That's something that so many people will be able to relate to. Plus, he's an easy character to root for.

In addition to this, the character of Lucas is also great, but for the opposite reasons. He is able to be completely manipulative despite the fact that he is outwardly sinister. For some reason, he is charming enough that people trust him, even when they know they shouldn't.

Having said this, a lot of the surrounding/background characters are frustratingly unrealistic because of the way that they do trust Luke from the offset without really trying to verify what he's saying. It feels like that wouldn't happen in real life.

The one word that springs to mind when describing this film is 'dramatic'. Everything that happens, and everything that everyone says is so dramatic! It works well in some places, but in others it's almost laughable.

Overall, it's an entertaining enough movie, if a bit bland in places.

6/10

Lou