To get in the mood without too much stress, nothing beats movies about learning, passing things on, pushing yourself, in short, about school and life. Here are 5 films that will make you want to go back to class (or not). No blockbuster special effects here, just human, deep, sometimes funny, sometimes hard stories, but always inspiring. Films that remind us that learning, falling, getting back up, or dreaming a little bigger is all part of the deal.
Good Will Hunting, available on myCanal
A young delinquent working as a janitor at MIT ends up impressing a math professor and gets accepted into the prestigious school. Behind this pitch is a beautiful drama about the fear of growing up and the strength of friendship. Robin Williams, as a therapist with a gentle gaze, delivers, of course, an unforgettable performance. This is clearly the kind of film that hits you right in the heart and makes you think.
The Wave, available on Prime Video
Now for a slightly bolder subject. Can you imagine a dictatorship rising again in Germany? It might feel impossible, but The Wave shows just how fast a group can slide into ideology and indoctrination. And the most unsettling part is that the film is based on a real experiment carried out by a teacher in a German high school. It is smart, disturbing, and terrifyingly relevant.
Dead Poets Society, available on Netflix
Robin Williams (yes, him again) this time plays a charismatic teacher who upends his students' lives by teaching them to "seize the day." Poetic, inspiring, and moving, it is a film that reminds us of cinema's power to spark vocations and push us to see the world differently.
The Theory of Everything
This beautiful biopic of Stephen Hawking, the famous physicist, could have been just an academic film, but James Marsh turns it into a deeply human drama with an Oscar-winning Eddie Redmayne in the role of the physicist. The film explores his genius as much as his fragility. Poetic, moving, and luminous.
Another Round, available on Prime Video
Time for a change of register: this time, teachers are the ones front and center, not students. Four friends decide to test a theory: would life get better if you maintained a constant, moderate blood alcohol level? Somewhere between comedy and existential drama, carried by a Mads Mikkelsen as charismatic as ever, this film is full of life, euphoric at times, but it also shares melancholic moments that stay with you long after.
Here are 5 films that do more than entertain, they leave a mark and sometimes even give our daily lives a little boost. Whether you are in the mood to philosophize about life, dream alongside Hawking, question society, or just raise a glass, this back-to-school pick has something for you.
And if you want more, the extended list of 29 back-to-school and school-themed movies is available for free on the OneMovie app.
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