The Smartest Kids in the World

Play trailer

The Smartest Kids in the World

2021

1h 45m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Chronicling the journey of four American teenagers, who study abroad in countries that dramatically outperform the United States in education, THE SMARTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD gives voice to students, hearing first-hand their discoveries and insight about how to reform U.S. high school education.

Natalia Winkelman

New York Times

"The Smartest Kids in the World" aspires to offer a study of teaching methods worldwide, but the documentary contains little rigor. It's a dippy lecture in motion.

Aug 19, 2021

Full Review

John Anderson

Wall Street Journal

What The Smartest Kids in the World suggests is that not everyone is smart in the same way, and that America might benefit if it stopped trying to shoehorn all its children into the same dubious mold.

Aug 17, 2021

Full Review

Sabrina McFarland

Common Sense Media

One instructive lesson learned from this must-see documentary is to have a discussion with teens about their high school education.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 15, 2021

Full Review

Valerie Kalfrin

AWFJ.org

The Smartest Kids in the World might not dive deep into every issue that American students face, but it does show how knowledge can light a mind on fire.

Aug 25, 2021

Full Review

Neely Swanson

Easy Reader (California)

A nice, superficial documentary that doesn't really take a deep dive into any of the questions about improving secondary education in a wildly diverse country with enormous poverty.

Aug 19, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Tracy Droz Tragos

Director

Shannon E. Riggs

Producer

Tracy Droz Tragos

Producer

Ben Mullinkosson

Cinematographer

Dan Duran

Film Editing

Nathan Halpern

Original Music

Girl Rising

80%

82%

Girl Rising

Watchlist

Mija

88%

%

Mija

Watchlist

Everybody Dance

100%

100%

Everybody Dance

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Everybody Dance

Try Harder!

97%

84%

Try Harder!

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Try Harder!

Pahokee

100%

%

Pahokee

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Chronicling the journey of four American teenagers, who study abroad in countries that dramatically outperform the United States in education, THE SMARTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD gives voice to students, hearing first-hand their discoveries and insight about how to reform U.S. high school education.

Director: Tracy Droz Tragos
Producer: Shannon E. Riggs, Tracy Droz Tragos
Production Co: Dinky Pictures
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 16, 2021
Runtime: 1h 45m