The Teachers' Lounge

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1:34

The Teachers' Lounge

PG-13

2023

1h 34m

Drama

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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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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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Catherine Wheatley

Sight & Sound

Dec 31

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.

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Stephen Romei

The Australian

04/29/2024

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...

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Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

04/24/2024

It's incredibly tense... it almost has a Hitchcockian edge.

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Louis Skye (Ronita Roy Mohan)

Women Write About Comics

Aug 20

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!

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Alfred Castaneda

Shade Studios

07/30/2025

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.

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Marta Medina Pérez

mundoCine

07/29/2025

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]

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tony

02/24/2024

I gave it a chance. no good. almost walked ou

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Sally S

02/15/2024

Loved this movie. Fabulous

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Rory

02/14/2024

pretty good movie but left you with some unanswered questions.

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Mr. Hollywood

02/13/2024

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.

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Joseph S

02/10/2024

Loved the pace, story and length. A late 2023 favorite

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Kathy

02/10/2024

I really liked this film.

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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

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The Teachers’ Lounge: Trailer 1

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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