The Teacher Film Review

The prolific Czech director-writer duo Jan Hrebejk and Petr Jarchovsky (“Cozy Dens,” “Divided We Fall,” “Kawasaki’s Rose”) return to top form with this compelling Slovak-language dramedy.

The prolific Czech director-writer duo Jan Hrebejk and Petr Jarchovsky (“Divided We Fall”) return to top form with the compelling Slovak-language dramedy “The Teacher.” Set in Bratislava during the final decade of communism, it examines the abuse of power at a middle school. Zuzana Maurery (named best actress at Karlovy Vary) tears into the part of a lifetime as a terrifying instructor who heads the local Communist party and uses her pupils to manipulate their parents for her own personal benefit. Critical appreciation should help this intelligent and universally resonant crowd-pleaser to graduate into niche arthouse and broadcast markets offshore.

Read the full review here.