Night School Parent Guide

High school dropout Teddy Walker (Kevin Hart) has managed to get by despite his limited education. After years of work as a barbecue salesman, he’s in line to inherit the company from his friendly boss. Even better, he’s dating Lisa (Megalyn Echikunwoke), a gorgeous and wealthy professional, who’s thrilled when Teddy buys her a ring and gets down on one knee. What Lisa doesn’t know is that Teddy’s overspending and desperation to impress her has stretched his funds to the limits. He’s so broke, he plants his own hair - from a part of his body we can’t mention here – on his plate at a restaurant to get out of paying the bill. But pretty soon this crass loudmouth is forced to come to terms with his unsustainable lifestyle when he loses his job. To get the kind of employment that will earn the respect of his successful fiancée, Teddy must first pass a GED exam and earn the equivalent of a high school diploma. That means joining a handful of other adults in attending night school classes.

Under the direction of no-nonsense teacher Carrie (Tiffany Haddish), who’s not afraid to cuss with the rest of them, Teddy soon learns he’ll either have to do the work or cheat the system. And Teddy is not a “do the work” kind of guy. Rallying his clueless classmates, Teddy charms, cheats, lies and schemes - anything to hasten his overdue graduation. How could it possibly go wrong?

While built around an interesting concept, this raunchy romp includes a whole potpourri of profanity - everything from racial slurs, terms of deity, misogynist remarks, and a sexual expletive - to say nothing of the slang terms liberally sprinkled amongst the movie’s almost constant sexual banter. Women are seen lounging in skimpy underwear and skin tight dresses, and none of the characters in this film prove to be model citizens. Teddy’s classmates include an incarcerated criminal who communicates with the class via video call and punches out his rivals to the delight of his night school audience. Other attendees are a youngster who faces juvenile detention for hiding drugs in her locker, and an unhappy mother who, in one uncomfortable scene, begs the school principal for sexual favours to escape the drudgery of her marriage. By comparison, even Teddy’s compulsive lying and overall delinquency seem upstanding.

Also of concern are moments of comedic violence—Carrie’s unorthodox teaching methods include tackling students in a wrestling wring, beating them with a belt, and punching faces until she hears satisfactory answers. Characters fall off buildings, strangle one another into unconsciousness, and pummel each other with fists—all accompanied by noisy sound effects. Overall, this trashy return to high school antics has no class at all.