Stealing School should be added to your VOD watchlist
The premise behind Stealing School seems straightforward, but the way things unfold is anything but. A student, April Chen who is played by Celine Tsai (Ready or Not), is on trial for plagiarism before a school tribunal. If she is proven to be a cheater, then she will not be able to walk at her graduation. This would be a disappointment for most students so on its own this creates drama.
However, you have to consider that April is a tech prodigy who already has a job waiting for her in Silicon Valley. She does not need the degree to get this job and they don’t care about her academic standing at all. We know this going in so the question as to why she even cares to fight this is one of the main things we have to answer. That’s where the fun begins.
Stealing School jumps straight into the tribunal and we meet our players. There is April, the student on trial. There is April’s student advocate, the law student Micah Shaw (played by Mpho Koaho, The Expanse).
Then you have the panel that is set to make a decision in this case. Professor Gould (Darrin Baker, My Spy), Deborah Lewis (Michelle Monteith, Suits), and Josh Bertier (Jonathan Malen, The Mist). Finally, you have the prosecution led by the self-important TA Keith Ward (Jonathan Keltz, Enterouge), and Professor Thornton (Matthew Edison, Fortunate Son).
From the very beginning, it is clear that Keith is the only one who wants to be there. His first few moments border on cheesy but you slowly start to understand his character and accept his antics.
Over the course of the film we learn a little bit more about why each person is in the room, the connections some may have that go beyond the room, and why they are acting the way they are within the room. There is heavy dramatic irony as we learn about each character’s background through flashbacks and moments when they’re alone. Eventually, everything does come to the surface in one way or another but the ride along the way manages to be both intense and fun.
Stealing School hits on a lot of serious issues while still being funny
The acting
The cast in Stealing School is perfect. If you’ve spent any time on a college campus you will recognize all of the people in the room. The actors captured each person’s essence without any performance feeling inauthentic. The supporting cast is great but it is the two leads who had the toughest job.
April has to come off as at least a little bit likable and innocent while still showing signs of her potential deviousness. Keith needs to come off as tightly wound and self-important but not as a complete idiot.
His character in particular carries the movie on both the comedic and dramatic sides. One moment he’s making a fool of himself and the next he makes a great point that gets you thinking again. The cat and mouse game between them will keep you guessing for the entirety of the film.
The tension between the playboy professor (Professor Thornton) and the serious professor (Professor Gould) is a fun touch also. They have a history together that comes out over the course of the film.
The pacing
Reading that the film takes place almost entirely in this room had me worried that it may drag a bit but there are plenty of breaks that keep this from happening. There aren’t more than five minutes in the room before someone takes a break for one reason or another, or a witness comes in to shake things up. There are some laugh-out-loud moments and the moments with the witnesses were among the funniest.
At just one hour and 14 minutes, Stealing School is a quick watch but it makes the most out of every minute. By the end, you’ll be wanting more.
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Overall
Stealing School was a fun movie. I’ve focused on the entertainment value elements of the film but it does hit on some very real topics as well.
Those topics include the way foreign students are perceived, the idea of doing things to pad your resume rather than doing them because you want to, and inappropriate student-teacher interactions. In the end, many of the little pieces that we learn along the way come together nicely and the parting scene is perfect.
Stealing School is available via VOD platforms on Feb. 26, 2021.