Bad Genius

Play trailer

2:18

Bad Genius

Released Oct 11, 2024

1h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

BAD GENIUS is a gripping thriller that follows Lynn, a brilliant scholarship student, who devises an ingenious cheating scheme to help her friends ace their exams. As their underground cheating operation expands, Lynn finds herself at the center of a high-stakes game that tests her morals and pits her against the American education system.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Jake Wilson

Sydney Morning Herald

Sadly, Bad Genius fails to fulfil its early promise, especially when it comes to subverting the English-language stereotype of Asian students as brainy but straitlaced.

Rated: 2.5/5

Apr 19, 2025

Full Review

Simon Abrams

RogerEbert.com

Fans of the 2017 version of “Bad Genius” may not need a makeover, but it’s still both novel and compelling enough to be worthwhile.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 11, 2024

Full Review

Brandon Yu

New York Times

"Bad Genius” doesn’t actually have the political bite to back its bark. For all of its declarations meant to be scathing indictments of a rigged system, it is glaringly resistant to ever saying the word “white.”

Oct 11, 2024

Full Review

Simon Foster

Screen-Space

Pulses with the energy and thrills of a heist film, but it is the deeper theme of privileged America exploiting the intelligence and ambitions of the nation’s minorities that resonates.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 12, 2025

Full Review

Jack Walters

Loud and Clear Reviews

"Bad Genius turns the story of one school’s cheating scandal into a blood-pumping thriller, but loses momentum fairly quickly."

Rated: 3/5

Jan 18, 2025

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Common Sense Media

Low-key and straightforward, without overt humor or padding, this high-school heist movie succeeds mainly due to its focus on systemic racism in the United States.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 25, 2024

Full Review

Read all reviews

Kyle M

Remake equals rejuvenated discussion in applicable terms. Differing integrities may watch this in a disapproving gaze but cannot help but commend over its intelligence in structuring a tangible heist film over such plot with couple unprecedented turns that socially aligns towards the unseen original while also sharply executed to plausibly question. (B)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Mediocre movie that makes no sense.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

05/01/25

Full Review

Jerod S

Che's brilliant - but turns to cheating in order to pay her way to Juliard. The tricks to get answers for the SAT were fun.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/21/25

Full Review

Hoang T

I love everyone's acting in here Thank you for rewriting the ending, I really love it. It showed how smart Lynn actually is and at the same time manage to give Bank the ending he deserves.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/25

Full Review

Garry A

It's smart, clever, and fun!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/25

Full Review

Magnus A

Very watchable. Callina Liang really carries the film, supported by a good cast. Slightly undercooked plot, fiddle SAT test scores and the world is yours - not really how that works. The larger story pulled a few punches but there was suspense and a sense of jeopardy. The rich kids were predictably entitled and the Asian/Immigrant kids were geniuses...did someone mention clichés and stereotypes?

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

J.C. Lee

Director

Callina Liang

Lynn

Benedict Wong

Actor

Jabari Banks

Bank

Taylor Hickson

Grace

Sarah-Jane Redmond

Irene Walsh

Missing

89%

89%

Missing

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Missing

Freelance

100%

%

Freelance

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Freelance

The G

100%

%

The G

Watchlist

Magpie

81%

77%

Magpie

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Magpie

The Blacklight

100%

83%

The Blacklight

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Bad Genius: Trailer 1

2:18

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

BAD GENIUS is a gripping thriller that follows Lynn, a brilliant scholarship student, who devises an ingenious cheating scheme to help her friends ace their exams. As their underground cheating operation expands, Lynn finds herself at the center of a high-stakes game that tests her morals and pits her against the American education system.

Director: J.C. Lee
Producer: Erik Feig, Jessica Switch, Ashley Stern, Patrick Wachsberger
Screenwriter: J.C. Lee, Julius Onah
Distributor: Vertical
Production Co: Picturestart, Little Ray Media, Picture Perfect Federation
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 11, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 11, 2024
Runtime: 1h 36m

Most Popular at Home Now