Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
Director
Nadav Lapid
Cast
Sarit Larry,
Avi Shnaidman,
Lior Raz,
Gilad ben David,
Ester Rada
Genre
Drama
Nira discovers that her young student, Yoav, has an otherworldly talent for language and poetry. She slowly and progressively becomes interested in cultivating the boy’s gift, but when fascination morphs into obsession, Nira pushes the boundaries of her relationship with the boy and his family.
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
The Kindergarten Teacher — the film as well as the character — yearns for different values, for intensity, beauty and meaning. Its sobering lesson is that the search for those things is most likely to end in madness, confusion and violence.
New York Magazine (Vulture) by Bilge Ebiri
Lapid’s thrilling use of the camera, the way his unbalanced frame and his imaginative staging work with the precision of his story, results in something new and genuinely unnerving.
The Hollywood Reporter by Jordan Mintzer
Lapid’s approach is so cautious yet so ambitious, he manages to weave an engrossing narrative that -- despite some longueurs after the one-hour mark -- grows progressively intense.
The Guardian by Jordan Hoffman
One of the most fascinating, if inscrutable films of the year.
Slant Magazine by Diego Semerene
The film's denouement is at once shocking and organic because it echoes a well-paced but nasty children's fable.
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Marsha Lederman
Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid (whose debut Policeman was a critical hit) keeps us guessing. His message seems clear even if his characters’ motivations aren’t always.
Variety by Jay Weissberg
Always engrossing but also perplexing and offering little deeper than the obvious, “Teacher” still reps a new development in a striking, idiosyncratic director.
Los Angeles Times by Gary Goldstein
Lapid confidently peppers the film with enough provocative beats, unsettling behaviors and bold camera moves to keep us intrigued — if not necessarily invested.
The A.V. Club by Mike D'Angelo
What primarily comes across is a film about squandered creativity that itself ignores and trivializes the creative process, pretending that child prodigies produce masterworks unconsciously, like a chicken laying eggs. That’s a poor lesson to impart.
New York Post by Farran Smith Nehme
Israeli director Nadav Lapid uses a well-worn concept — a lonely little boy is taken under a teacher’s wing — to create a slow, creepy movie.
The Playlist by Nikola Grozdanovic
The Kindergarten Teacher is too lackadaisical in its execution to be as profound as it thinks it is.
New York Daily News
Slightly mesmerizing performances from Larry and young Shnaidman just manage to sustain interest in this quiet story. Even if it’s going nowhere.
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