Critic Reviews

• Barbara VanDenburgh, Arizona Republic

  Defiantly humorless, the comedy is little more than a grab-bag of familiar high school-film cliches populated with bland characters played by barely-there actors. It was clearly a labor of love for no one.

• Marsha McCreadie, Village Voice

  The film is like a new colt tripping over itself, going off every which way ...

• Lou Lumenick, New York Post

  Wavers between extreme silliness and unbearable earnestness.

• Neil Genzlinger, New York Times

  The lead character's sister is more interesting than he is, and she spends much of her screen time as a mute mime.

• Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

  As generic and forgettable as its title, this half-hearted attempt at a teen comedy feels like a term paper you might buy online: poorly written and cribbed from a million other sources.

• Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

  What have I learned? High school movies can be duller—and more sour—than previously thought possible...The least generic element of General Education is its openly hostile attitude toward gay people. [Blu-ray]

• Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

  If given the choice between going to class and seeing the high-school comedy General Education, go with school.

• Frank Lovece, Film Journal International

  A technically impressive tapioca of a movie, this bland indie seriocomedy may serve as an early springboard for a couple of talented young actors, but little else.

• Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue.com

  The film feels like a strained collection of outtakes from other comedies about teenage nerds and dysfunctional families.

• Witney Seibold, CraveOnline

  Plays out in a bland sitcom way, but is mercifully peppered with a few bizarre moments of surreal slapstick that keep it afloat.

• Christine N. Ziemba, Paste Magazine

  Unfortunately, in General Education, even tried-and-true formulas fall flat thanks to the lack of several key elements-good dialogue, fully developed characters and a satisfying story.

• Alison Willmore, AV Club

  When the biggest name in the movie is Janeane Garofalo, why waste her in an extraneous, laugh-free side role as the protagonist's neglected housewife mother?

• Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

  Too derivative to be amusing and too earnest to be parodic, it assumes the form of countless other teen comedies minus any wit or drama.

• Brandon Judell, CultureCatch

  With its hackneyed outlook and lack of a moral core or a purpose, 'General Education' is little more than a defective episode of 'Saved by the Bell.'

Read all 14 critic reviews