The Last Class

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The Last Class

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1h 11m

Documentary

Biography

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8 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

American political economist, professor, author and social media sensation Robert Reich worked under presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. He served as Secretary of Labor in President Bill Clinton’s cabinet, and as a member of President Barack Obama's economic transition advisory board. Reich is known for his work on economic inequality and as a champion of public education and American democracy. He is among one of America's most prominent public intellectuals. The Last Class is a nuanced and deeply personal portrait of Reich as he reflects on a period of immense transformation, personally and globally. It is also a love letter to education. The former Secretary of Labor might be famous for his public service, best-selling books, and viral social media posts, but he always considered teaching his true calling. Now, after over 40 years and an extraordinary 40,000 students, Reich is preparing for his last class. Over the course of the film, Reich confronts the impending finality, and his own aging, with increasing candor, introspection, and, ultimately, emotion. He displays a rawness of feeling he has never shared publicly before. Drawing on his lifetime in politics, he uses his class, "Wealth and Poverty," to offer us all a deeper look at why inequalities of income and wealth have widened significantly since the late 1970s, and why this poses dangerous risks to our society. One thousand students fill the biggest lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the last class to receive Reich's wisdom and exhortations not to accept that the world has to stay the way it is. His belief in the next generation's ability to take on the fight is inspiring.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

All in all, it’s heartening to hear a major figure in American political history talking about the future as if it might actually happen.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 27, 2025

Full Review

Tobias Jeg

Exclaim!

A brisk 71 minutes that is somehow lighthearted and uplifting, despite the sobering subject matter

Rated: 8/10

Jul 24, 2025

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James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Throughout The Last Class, Robert Reich demonstrates what American education looks like at its best, calling into question why there is so much hand-wringing over political indoctrination on college campuses

Rated: 3/4

Jul 4, 2025

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Stephen Silver

The SS Ben Hecht

Recalls what it’s like to sit in a university lecture and be enthralled.

Jul 3, 2025

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Joel Copling

Spectrum Culture

The whole thing comes across as both simply and simplistically congratulatory.

Jul 1, 2025

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Andy Punter

InSession Film

The Last Class is, in the end, a pleasant and heartfelt tribute. It is a warm and often moving documentary that is impossible to dislike.

Rated: C+

Jun 27, 2025

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Antonia

Extremely insightful and touching. As a semi-retiring college professor, I could totally relate. Professor Reich is a brilliant educator and will continue be one for many years to come.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/03/25

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Elsbeth C

Second viewing. I love this film. Reich is so inspiring.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

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lisa e

A glimpse into the world of a great educator and a beautiful human being

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

Full Review

Marco

I took the WEarth and Poverty class in 2015. Loved this film. He showed the sacred importance of teaching and explains the situation we are in as we age.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

Full Review

Diana

Since this film was about professors and teachers retiring, I enjoyed sitting amongst the older peers. They chuckled out loud for some of the commonalities and they applauded at the end of the movie. When they thought it was over, they got up to leave and there was more to see! There wasn't any blood or screaming, just good old fashioned conversation about life's evolution. I was most sad to hear that after the Gen Z crowd, they labeled themselves as the Last Generation. If these are to be "End Times", I'm wondering if pessimism or cynicism will prevail.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/23/25

Full Review

Atholstaus Spilhausen

A solid, truthful portrait of a true patriot.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/20/25

Full Review

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Elliot Kirschner

Director

Robert Reich

Self

Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse

Producer

Meredith DeSalazar

Producer

Josh Melrod

Producer

Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

American political economist, professor, author and social media sensation Robert Reich worked under presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. He served as Secretary of Labor in President Bill Clinton’s cabinet, and as a member of President Barack Obama's economic transition advisory board. Reich is known for his work on economic inequality and as a champion of public education and American democracy. He is among one of America's most prominent public intellectuals. The Last Class is a nuanced and deeply personal portrait of Reich as he reflects on a period of immense transformation, personally and globally. It is also a love letter to education. The former Secretary of Labor might be famous for his public service, best-selling books, and viral social media posts, but he always considered teaching his true calling. Now, after over 40 years and an extraordinary 40,000 students, Reich is preparing for his last class. Over the course of the film, Reich confronts the impending finality, and his own aging, with increasing candor, introspection, and, ultimately, emotion. He displays a rawness of feeling he has never shared publicly before. Drawing on his lifetime in politics, he uses his class, "Wealth and Poverty," to offer us all a deeper look at why inequalities of income and wealth have widened significantly since the late 1970s, and why this poses dangerous risks to our society. One thousand students fill the biggest lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the last class to receive Reich's wisdom and exhortations not to accept that the world has to stay the way it is. His belief in the next generation's ability to take on the fight is inspiring.

Director: Elliot Kirschner
Producer: Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse, Meredith DeSalazar, Josh Melrod
Distributor: Abramorama
Production Co: CoffeeKlatch Productions
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 27, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 11m