| A heist movie for middle school kids, or also known as the genre where kids outsmart and out-bully the teachers. A genre that can be a lot of fun when done right, or comes across as painfully stupid when not done right, and F Plus falls on the stupid side way too often. Starting with the title, F+ is not a real grade and yet all the smartest kids in school decided it was. | | 2025
Directed by: Kenny Beaumont
Screenplay by: Jonathan Davenport
Starring: Jennifer Esposito, Wells Rappaport
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Let’s start with the set-up, this is one of those smart schools that exist in a cool future where the district created a special school for all of the smart kids to go together. Ignoring the fact that no state-funded program would create a whole new school, it also creates an ultra-competitive place where students will take each other down when it becomes too easy to take down the teachers.
It starts with a standardized multiple choice test. In addition to somehow determining the kids’ futures, the scores will also dictate whether this school is allowed to exist. When all of the smart kids find out that they all got an F+, they need a plan. Logically, when every kid gets an F+ there is either something wrong with the grading system or the test, so the really smart kids determine the solution is to delete their test scores and re-take the test. There is another twist coming up, but it doesn’t really help the fact that re-taking the test isn’t actually going to solve anything and I have no clue why these really smart kids don’t see that. Things kind of fall apart after that.
The first twist is solid and yes adults will see it coming, but the middle school-aged kids in the audience should enjoy it. Some of the kids love their fart jokes way too much, because of course they do, they’re boys. But some of the kids are really good characters. Take Gertz Neely – daughter of the principal, a girl who enjoys being a social outcast and is ridiculously good at reading people both kids and adults alike. Gertz is arguably the most unique and most realistic character in this entire movie and on her own, breathes fresh life into the genre. She’s fun but she can’t change everything.
F Plus really struggles with writing smart kids and all the plans to take over the school become stupid instead of fun. But the ultimate theme of friendship is really well done – the two lead boys strengthen their friendship and the kids celebrate their differences. It’s good stuff but it can’t save the movie from itself.
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