When we think of movies involving boarding school, our minds tend to jump the highly overdone genre of college comedies. Don't get me wrong, National Lampoons has made some pretty iconic stuff, but at the same time these types of movies have lost quite a bit of their charm over the years. The boarding school setting is actually a pretty good plot device that can make for some great flicks in pretty much every movie category that you can think of, besides just comedy. We all know X-Men, and we all most certainly know Harry Potter, but there are also quite a few gems you may not know that takes place at boarding schools. Here are a few that can make any parent cringe at the thought of what happens to their children when they'are no longer under their supervision and left in the care of others.
This is a surprisingly a great comedy, for those who're not familiar with the name. At first glance, this looks like a movie that falls into the group of little girl chic flicks, but it's gags often appeals and are aimed at adult audiences. This British comedy depicts the exploits and shenanigans of an all girl's boarding school that can only be described as the bastard-child of the education system that grooms young girls for a future in the mob. These heathen minors run a crime syndicate that includes bootlegging dangerously strong alcohol, escort services and even theft of masterpiece art works. It has a British ensemble cast and cameos including Gemma Arterton, Colin Firth, Russel Brand, Lena Headey and many more. Rupert Everett in drag steals the show by playing the school's headmistress Miss Camilla Fritton, who encourages all of the girls crimes. They also have numerous subtle jokes involving Firth's famous role in Pride and Prejudice that most young people wouldn't get.
Based on a book and a remake of the Shirley Temple classic, this movie shows boarding schools in a particularly sad way. A wealthy man leaves his privileged but kind-hearted daughter in the care of a boarding school while he's away fighting in WWI. The daughter's warm personality makes her the most loved girl in the school when most would expect her to be nothing more than a spoiled brat. When he goes missing the cruel and greedy head mistress immediately forces the girl into slavery seeing as to the fact that the girl is now destitute and no longer able to pay. The movie follows the girl who is forced to tolerate the abuse, but at the same time is able to maintain her sweet disposition.
Admittedly, this is not technically a boarding school movie (at least, not in the traditional sense) since it takes place partially in juvenile detention. But it still fits the bill due to the fact that children are forced to stay for extended periods of time while still receiving the standard education in addition to being re-educated before allowing them back into society. Sleepers is a borderline horrific drama about four tight-knit friends who are basically good kids, that get sent to a facility after what was supposed to only be a prank goes horribly wrong. At the facility they are subjected to all forms of abuse including psychological, physical and ultimately sexual from the security guards that run the facility. The film watches how the irreversible damage affects and weighs down their adult lives and leads to vengeance and murder, and creates an audience that is sympathetic to their actions.