X
In Theaters Now
  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • Miercoles Entertainment
  • 2 h 5 m
  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • Miercoles Entertainment
  • 2 h 5 m
Radical

Summary In a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence, a frustrated teacher tries a radical new method to break through his students’ apathy and unlock their curiosity, their potential . . . and maybe even their genius. Based on a true story.

Directed By: Christopher Zalla

Written By: Joshua Davis, Christopher Zalla

In Theaters Now
  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • Miercoles Entertainment
  • 2 h 5 m
  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • Miercoles Entertainment
  • 2 h 5 m
Radical
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 13 Critic Reviews
71
User Score Available after 4 ratings
tbd
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

View Showtimes

Summary In a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence, a frustrated teacher tries a radical new method to break through his students’ apathy and unlock their curiosity, their potential . . . and maybe even their genius. Based on a true story.

Directed By: Christopher Zalla

Written By: Joshua Davis, Christopher Zalla

Where to Watch

View Showtimes

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 13 Critic Reviews
71
92% Positive
12 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 13 Critic Reviews
71
92% Positive
12 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
88
Nov 1, 2023
As Sergio and Chucho share the names of the teachers who inspired them, we see Chucho begin to reconnect with what led him to become an educator. If we are lucky, we have at least one teacher in our past who showed us what we are capable of. If not, Sergio can help remind us that it is never too late.
By Nell Minow FULL REVIEW
80
Jan 28, 2023
Radical doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to what we've come to expect from teaching dramas. The movie's message may not be profound or revelatory either, but that doesn't keep this from being an uplifting story full of hope and heart.
By Ethan Anderton FULL REVIEW
75
Nov 1, 2023
Radical follows a predictable formula, and Derbez, a major star in Mexico whose last American projects were the Hulu film “The Valet” and the Apple TV+ series “Acapulco,” lifts the material with his typical vibrant energy.
By G. Allen Johnson FULL REVIEW
70
Jan 28, 2023
Radical isn’t so much an irresponsibly magical against-the-odds yarn as a truthful one, in which a well-intentioned outsider can only go so far in protecting underprivileged students from certain grim paths.
By Tomris Laffly FULL REVIEW
70
Jan 28, 2023
The strength of the story rests firmly in Derbez's sensitive portrayal and his touching moments with each student, proving that Sergio does know how to spark a genuine excitement for education by tapping into a child's personal interests.
By Tatiana Hullender FULL REVIEW
67
Jan 28, 2023
Radical can’t escape a formulaic construction with scenes that pack a predictably saccharine punch (see: kids rushing to hug their beloved teacher once he has proven himself an ally). And yet, as unsubtle as the story beats tend to march on, the backdrop of poverty and hopelessness make the light that Derbez’s character brings into the classroom, and in turn into the youths’ lives, earned.
By Carlos Aguilar FULL REVIEW
50
Nov 2, 2023
Despite its foundation in reality, Radical is as by the books as it gets.
By Natalia Winkelman FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

 View All
Production Company 3Pas Studios, EPIC Magazine, Pantelion Films, Participant, TelevisaUnivision, The Lift
Release Date Nov 3, 2023
Duration 2 h 5 m
Rating PG-13
Genres
View All Details

Awards

Sundance Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Heartland International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Mill Valley Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

Related Movies

Dekalog (1988)

100
Universal Acclaim

Three Colors: Red

100
Universal Acclaim

Tokyo Story

100
Universal Acclaim

Fanny and Alexander (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

The Leopard (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

The Conformist

100
Universal Acclaim

Boyhood

100
Universal Acclaim

The Godfather

100
Universal Acclaim

Citizen Kane

100
Universal Acclaim

Casablanca

100
Universal Acclaim

Notorious

100
Universal Acclaim

Army of Shadows

99
Universal Acclaim

City Lights

99
Universal Acclaim

The Rules of the Game

99
Universal Acclaim

Intolerance

99
Universal Acclaim

Moonlight

99
Universal Acclaim

Touch of Evil

99
Universal Acclaim

Pan's Labyrinth

98
Universal Acclaim

Hoop Dreams

98
Universal Acclaim

Pépé le Moko (re-release)

98
Universal Acclaim

Seven Samurai

98
Universal Acclaim

Related News

Director Roxanne Benjamin Gender-Flips Gaslighting and Parental Tropes in Horror Film 'There's Something Wrong With the Children'

Director Roxanne Benjamin Gender-Flips Gaslighting and Parental Tropes in Horror Film 'There's Something Wrong With the Children'

Danielle Turchiano

'To me, [the film] was more about the idea of family and what it's supposed to look like,' the director tells Metacritic. 'You might have to fight against that continually until you die.'

  • movies
2023 Critics Choice Awards Winners: From 'Better Call Saul' to 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'

2023 Critics Choice Awards Winners: From 'Better Call Saul' to 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'

Danielle Turchiano

Find out who took home trophies at the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards.

  • movies
With 'The Drop,' Director Sarah Adina Smith Has Made Her Most Personal Movie Yet — And in a Genre She Never Expected to Work In

With 'The Drop,' Director Sarah Adina Smith Has Made Her Most Personal Movie Yet — And in a Genre She Never Expected to Work In

Sam Rosenberg

The comedy was born out of a conversation between Smith and her DP husband Shaheen Seth about the female equivalent of the protagonist's bad action in 'Force Majeure.'

  • movies
2023 DGA Awards Theatrical Nominations: From Steven Spielberg to John Patton Ford

2023 DGA Awards Theatrical Nominations: From Steven Spielberg to John Patton Ford

Danielle Turchiano

Find out who was nominated for theatrical film DGA Awards in 2023.

  • movies
2023 SAG Awards Nominations: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and 'Ozark' Score Big, 'The White Lotus' Switches Categories

2023 SAG Awards Nominations: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and 'Ozark' Score Big, 'The White Lotus' Switches Categories

Danielle Turchiano

Find out which actors from film and television earned Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations at the 29th annual celebration.

  • movies

Overview

Follow Us

Video and Images from IVA & Xperi
Movie title data, credits, and poster art provided by
IMDb logo
© 2023 FANDOM, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Explore Other Brands