Despite his dedication to the junior-high students who fill his classroom, idealistic teacher Dan Dunne leads a secret life of addiction that the majority of his students will never know. But things change when a troubled student Drey makes a startling discovery of his secret life, causing a tenuous bond between the two that could either end disastrously or provide a catalyst of hope.
The take
The self destructive, substance abusing history teacher Dan (Ryan Gosling) works in a Brooklyn middle-school and is constantly at odds with the curriculum, preferring to teach 13 year old kids Marxist theory in class. Meanwhile, his student Drey (Shareeka Epps) has to go through struggles of her own, her brother being in jail on drug charges and her single mother having to work long hours to make ends meet. Slowly, an unlikely and tender friendship between teacher and student evolves, in which it becomes less and less clear who of them is the adult part. Steering away from cliches, Half Neslon is not your typical social drama. Its intelligent plot twists, great cast (with outstanding performances by both Gossling and Epps) and slow, non dramatic storytelling makes this a highly underestimated movie that, although treating depressive topics without any easy relief for the viewer, will leave with an inner smile, albeit a sad one.
Comments
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (2023)
A cynical, but terribly honest portrait of the indignity of modern life
7.9
Turtles All the Way Down (2024)
A sweet and relatable coming-of-age drama that brings mental health and economic realities to the fore
7.1
Lust, Caution (2007)
A wartime spy falls for a collaborator in this erotic espionage drama
7.3
Idiots and Angels (2008)
Miserable scoundrel transforms into unwilling good-doer in this strange and cynical animated comedy
7.0
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.
8.1
The Guilty (2018)
A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.
9.0
Forgotten Love (2023)
The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama
7.7
Breaking the Waves (1996)
Lars von Trier breaks his rules in the tearjerking first film of the Golden Heart trilogy
8.1
The Tearsmith (2024)
A porn storyline with “adopted siblings” and “Wattpad” as its main tags
3.5
System Crasher (2019)
A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.