The Bad Kids

Documentary shows the work of teachers to help kids graduate despite what is happening around them that impacts on their chances to succeed. Amazing footage and the kids are wonderful. Standout is Principal Viland. Probably would have liked if producers had interviewed kids or teachers directly, but in a way that would have been easy way out. Working from "fly-on-the-wall" approach ensures realism, as far as possible.

I'm floored by the talent of these kids, I admire their raw honesty.

Such a shame that we live in a society that forces them into a mold- Forces them to prove something they have already proven time and time again... Tells them that unless they comply with society's rules they have nothing Even though their hearts and souls are already full of so much...

Society needs a reform. The world needs help from kids like this- I hope they all graduate and become politicians, influencers, and of course- teachers.

We need more principals like Miss V... all around the world.

You could also call this "the problem kids". It's a documentary about kids that society does not seem to want. And that's why they are shoved to a special school. Good thing for them, they do get help there. But as we all know, the only person that can really help you - is yourself. And that's a point the documentary tries to make and succeeds in.

If you don't like documentaries at all, then you shouldn't bother obviously. And as it is, this won't be for too many people. Especially those who try to escape from reality. Because this feels as real as it gets. And it doesn't shy away from showing peoples downfalls and their emotions (good and bad of course). So you have to decide based on that, if this is something you want to watch. Can't blame the movie if you know what you let yourself into.

This film is OK in the sense that it offers a look into the lives of less-than-fortunate teens, however it is not at all structured like a documentary, at least from my point of view. It feels to me like it is less of a documentary, and more like a film that just wants to make you feel either depressed or superior to these teens who cannot make ends meet. I watched this film because it was assigned for a school project, which seemed to have been structured in a way that is optimized for a regular documentary, which means that this is really not good for such a project.

This film is composed of sections of students either conversing with the school principal(who I find insufferable), talking to the camera about their problems, and some scenes of the school faculty discussing issues with some of the students.

There is no narration other than the voices of the teens overlayed over other scenes, and so it is pretty hard to tell what is going on in a significant part of the film. For a while I thought Ms. Viland(The principal) was some sort of social worker rather than an administrator, since it was never stated.

So yeah, there are some pretty significant issues with the structure of this film, and I'm not likely to watch it again. Ever.

This documentary is about a school that takes in those who have been expelled & failed at others. Brilliant work we get to see as teachers do their best to guide students who have all kinds of challenges in their lives. Very inspiring in many places & def gritty.