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The Teachers' Lounge

Play trailer 1:34 Poster for The Teachers' Lounge PG-13 2023 1h 34m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
95% Tomatometer 146 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Carla Nowak, a dedicated sports and math teacher, starts her first job at a high school. She stands out among the new staff because of her idealism. When a series of thefts occur at the school and one of her students is suspected, she decides to get to the bottom of the matter on her own. Carla tries to mediate between outraged parents, opinionated colleagues and aggressive students, but is relentlessly confronted with the structures of the school system. The more desperately she tries to do everything right, the more the young teacher threatens to break.
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The Teachers' Lounge

The Teachers' Lounge

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Critics Consensus

A smart and provocative modern parable with the heart of a thriller, The Teachers' Lounge brilliantly uses its setting as the backdrop for a look at how quickly even tight-knit communities can be destabilized.

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Critics Reviews

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Catherine Wheatley Sight & Sound Dec 31, 2025
There’s the suggestion that the corruption is systemic – the conspiracy goes right to the top – but the film is so busy skewering everything that it becomes unfocused, baggy. Go to Full Review Stephen Romei The Australian Apr 29, 2024
3.5/5
This is a bold film that uses not a child vampire, as in Abigail, in cinemas now, but real children, and the adults charged with their care... Go to Full Review Mark Kermode Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube) Apr 24, 2024
It's incredibly tense... it almost has a Hitchcockian edge. Go to Full Review Louis Skye (Ronita Roy Mohan) Women Write About Comics Aug 20, 2025
The story was gripping, and the acting was solid. Despite the scenes that didn’t flow, I understand why they were included. I genuinely didn’t think I would be so gripped by a school-based film but here I am! Go to Full Review Alfred Castaneda Shade Studios Jul 30, 2025
This is a film that doesn’t come along very often, with both the location and plot appearing overly mundane yet still underpinned by a highly-capable lead actress and a well-developed script. Go to Full Review Marta Medina Pérez mundoCine Jul 29, 2025
4/5
The Teacher's Lounge emerges as a raw and realistic thriller that stands out in contrast to the usual hope and optimism found in the teacher-student subgenre, prompting reflection on the complex reality faced by teachers today. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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tony Feb 24, 2024 I gave it a chance. no good. almost walked ou See more Sally S Feb 15, 2024 Loved this movie. Fabulous See more Rory Feb 14, 2024 pretty good movie but left you with some unanswered questions. See more Mr. Hollywood Feb 13, 2024 Was a good film but man did they cop out with the ending. Its an easy cop out and unfair to the audience. Tired of these endings where directors cop out saying well it so to the audience to decide. No you are too lazy or too scared hence why you didnt end it. See more Joseph S Feb 10, 2024 Loved the pace, story and length. A late 2023 favorite See more Kathy Feb 10, 2024 I really liked this film. See more Read all reviews
The Teachers' Lounge

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Cast & Crew

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Ilker Çatak

Director

Leonie Benesch

Carla Nowak

Leonard Stettnisch

Oskar

Eva Löbau

Friederike Kuhn

Michael Klammer

Thomas Liebenwerda

Anne-Kathrin Gummich

Dr. Bettina Böhm

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The Teachers' Lounge

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The Teachers' Lounge

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Movie Info

Synopsis Carla Nowak, a dedicated sports and math teacher, starts her first job at a high school. She stands out among the new staff because of her idealism. When a series of thefts occur at the school and one of her students is suspected, she decides to get to the bottom of the matter on her own. Carla tries to mediate between outraged parents, opinionated colleagues and aggressive students, but is relentlessly confronted with the structures of the school system. The more desperately she tries to do everything right, the more the young teacher threatens to break.
Director
Ilker Çatak
Producer
Ingo Fliess
Screenwriter
Ilker Çatak, Johannes Duncker
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Arte, if... Productions, ZDF
Rating
PG-13 (Some Strong Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 25, 2023, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$627.9K
Runtime
1h 34m
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