Lesson Plan
By Monique Jones,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Bland action-thriller has lots of violence, drugs, language.
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Lesson Plan
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What's the Story?
LESSON PLAN follows Damian (Piotr Witkowski), a former police officer with jiu-jitsu skills, on the hunt for his friend's murderers. Because his friend was a history teacher at a school known for drug use, Damian takes his friend's job to investigate the truth behind his friend's death.
Is It Any Good?
Lesson Plan is charming in the sense that it evokes a retro sense of the hero using martial arts to instill values into others around him. But overall, the film is bland at best, and confusing at worst. Why would a school randomly hire someone not qualified to be a teacher to fill a position? Why is Damian (Witkowski) trying to teach when he's not trained in history? Why is he using his teaching time to teach unauthorized jiu-jitsu classes? And why is his love interest Agata, another teacher at the school, less focused on teaching and more focused on being a stereotype of a feminine character defined by her status as a "love interest"?
Aside from these questions, the film might be enjoyable if you love films like these -- think Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris (who is name-checked in the film), or even Jackie Chan films. But if you aren't willing to turn off your brain and go along with standard action tropes, Lesson Plan might be a tedious watch for you.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about action-thrillers. How does this one compare to others you've seen?
What positive lessons does Damian give his students?
How is violence used as a plot device in the film?
What message does the film have about drugs and alcohol?
How does the film incorporate perseverance and teamwork?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: November 23, 2022
- Cast: Piotr Witkowski , Marcin Bosak , Pascal Fischer , Zuzanna Galewicz
- Director: Daniel Markowicz
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Thriller
- Run time: 101 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: November 30, 2022
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