Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Story about high school cheating ring examines racism.
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Bad Genius
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In BAD GENIUS, Lynn Kang (Callina Liang) is a star student at an elite Seattle high school. Her single father, Meng (Benedict Wong), who runs a laundromat, can't afford to cover the costs of school but is ready to go into debt to help Lynn succeed. He wants to prepare her to go to M.I.T., but Lynn dreams of attending Julliard, where she could refine her talent on the piano. At school, Lynn befriends Grace (Taylor Hickson) and helps her cheat on a test. Grace tells her boyfriend, Pat (Samuel Braun), the son of a wealthy lawyer, and Pat arranges a scheme to get Lynn paid for help on more tests. Lynn cooks up an ingenious scheme using her fingers to play "songs" that are secret codes for answers. The ploy works, and Lynn is approached by Pat's father (David James Lewis); if she can help Pat ace his S.A.T. and get into Columbia, he'll finance an apartment for Lynn, Grace, and Pat in New York. Cheating on the S.A.T. is impossible, but Lynn has a plan. She just needs to recruit Bank (Jabari Banks), another brilliant student on a scholarship, and convince him to put his own future on the line.
Is It Any Good?
Low-key and straightforward, without overt humor or padding, this high-school heist movie succeeds mainly due to its focus on systemic racism in the United States. Written by J.C. Lee and Julius Onah and directed by Lee, Bad Genius is a reworking of a 2017 Thai movie that was inspired by real-life news reports. The movie is frank about the challenges—both financial and cultural—faced by its characters of color. Both Lynn and Bank are expected to achieve far more than previous generations did, and their parents and grandparents push and sacrifice to make that happen. And the non-White characters have much more at stake in their scheme than their White counterparts do, since the latter group's wealth and connections make it likely that they won't face any consequences if they get caught. The fact that the White characters are somewhat sympathetic, rather than caricatures, helps drive this point home even more powerfully.
The movie's suspense sequences are crafted in a clean, snappy manner, especially the climactic S.A.T. heist, which requires a lot of moving parts and involves opponents who aren't easily fooled. Bad Genius could have been a little clearer in setting up the rules and mores of its elite world of education; it struggles a little bit at first as viewers try to get a handle on things. But as it wraps up—with a final scene that's probably a little too movie-cute—the movie's stance is bracingly vivid.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Bad Genius' moments of violence. How do they compare to what you might see in an action or horror movie? What kind of movie violence has the most impact on you?
Do you consider Lynn and Bank role models? Do they manage to help others with their scheme, or are they only helping themselves?
What is systemic racism? How does this movie address it? Do you think there's a message that the movie wants viewers to take away?
In what ways does the movie use stereotypes to develop its characters? Does it subvert stereotypes in any surprising ways?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 11, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : October 11, 2024
- Cast : Callina Liang , Jabari Banks , Taylor Hickson
- Director : J.C. Lee
- Inclusion Information : Multiracial Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Vertical
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : School ( High School )
- Run time : 97 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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