The School for Good and Evil

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The School for Good and Evil

PG-13

2022

2h 29m

Drama

Action

Fantasy

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Popcornmeter

38%

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66 Reviews

66%

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1,000+ Ratings

In the village of Gavaldon, two misfits and best friends, Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), share the unlikeliest of bonds. Sophie, a lover of fairy tales, dreams of escaping her ordinary village life, while Agatha, with her grim aesthetic, has the makings of a real witch. Then one night under a blood red moon, a powerful force sweeps them away to the School for Good and Evil -- where the true story of every great fairy tale begins. Yet something is amiss from the start: Sophie is dropped into the School for Evil, run by the glamourous and acid-tongued Lady Lesso (Charlize Theron), and Agatha in the School for Good, overseen by the sunny and kind Professor Dovey (Kerry Washington). As if navigating classes with the offspring of Cinderella, Captain Hook, and the dashing son of King Arthur (Jamie Flatters) wasn't hard enough, according to the Schoolmaster (Laurence Fishburne), only true love's kiss can change the rules and send the girls to their rightful school. But when a dark and dangerous figure (Kit Young) with mysterious ties to Sophie reemerges and threatens to destroy the school and the rulebook entirely -- the only way to a happy ending is to survive the fairytale first.

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Critics Consensus

The cast is game and the visuals are dazzling, but a deeply derivative narrative means The School for Good and Evil flunks on the storytelling front.

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Audience Says

The School for Good and Evil stumbles after a solid start -- and fans of the books may be annoyed by some changes -- but the star-studded cast will keep you watching.

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Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (LAist)

The movie really is star-studded, but it has almost no momentum.

Oct 24, 2022

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

It’s too nakedly derivative and too crudely assembled (Feig is hardly a visual stylist). Yet the central conceit is consistently compelling...

Rated: 3/5

Oct 21, 2022

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Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

An exhaustingly long, overstuffed movie that probably would’ve worked better as a TV series.

Oct 21, 2022

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Olivia Truffant-Wong

Refinery29

In the end, The School for Good and Evil speaks to a modern audience’s desire for complexity, even in beloved fairy tales.

Feb 16, 2023

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Lindsay Press

Culturess

The movie lacks a severe amount of world-building, character development, and follow-through.

Nov 15, 2022

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Jack Bottomley

Starburst

An overlong and over-packed uneasy mash-up of Harry Potter's Wizarding World and The Descendants which starts off threatening to be nigh on unwatchable, never finds its groove enough to be magical, and in the end just emerges as a mess.

Rated: 2/5

Nov 14, 2022

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Phisa K

Please make a season 2. I still remember the end of the movie said ( this is just a beginning).

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/19/25

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Frances C

The dialogue and fight sequences combined with the music and the incredible acting from Sophie’s actor and put together in such a satisfying way that I didn’t realise I was missing until I saw this. The moral complexity is not overdone and is almost brushed over by the bigger problems, which catered to the entertainment of older viewers.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/15/25

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Hannah B

Wow. The story, the acting-terrible.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/15/25

Full Review

Katalin B

It started slow but definitely picked us up right into the story! Loved the storyline with twists and turns. My daughter, 12, also really enjoyed it! The music was great as well. Will there be a 2?!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/13/25

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Jess J

I really wanted to like this, but the story is so weak and lacking. The ending is so dull and the whole narrative falls flat.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

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Khaztiel Delbod D

Al final termine encantando con esta historia, no le tenia expectativas pero termina gustando.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/19/25

Full Review

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Paul Feig

Director

Sophia Anne Caruso

Sophie

Sofia Wylie

Agatha

Charlize Theron

Lady Lesso

Michelle Yeoh

Professor Anemone

Laurence Fishburne

School Master

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The School for Good and Evil: Trailer 2

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The School for Good and Evil: Trailer 1

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The School for Good and Evil: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

In the village of Gavaldon, two misfits and best friends, Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), share the unlikeliest of bonds. Sophie, a lover of fairy tales, dreams of escaping her ordinary village life, while Agatha, with her grim aesthetic, has the makings of a real witch. Then one night under a blood red moon, a powerful force sweeps them away to the School for Good and Evil -- where the true story of every great fairy tale begins. Yet something is amiss from the start: Sophie is dropped into the School for Evil, run by the glamourous and acid-tongued Lady Lesso (Charlize Theron), and Agatha in the School for Good, overseen by the sunny and kind Professor Dovey (Kerry Washington). As if navigating classes with the offspring of Cinderella, Captain Hook, and the dashing son of King Arthur (Jamie Flatters) wasn't hard enough, according to the Schoolmaster (Laurence Fishburne), only true love's kiss can change the rules and send the girls to their rightful school. But when a dark and dangerous figure (Kit Young) with mysterious ties to Sophie reemerges and threatens to destroy the school and the rulebook entirely -- the only way to a happy ending is to survive the fairytale first.

Director: Paul Feig
Producer: Paul Feig, Laura Allen Fischer, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth, Jane Startz
Screenwriter: David Magee, Soman Chainani
Production Co: Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, Feigco Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Roth Films, Jane Startz Productions, Netflix
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 19, 2022
Runtime: 2h 29m

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