The Bad Kids | reviewed by: Mac Morton | January 31, 2022
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Very engrossing, tough to watch at times, but ultimately a great subject for a doc.
| genre | Documentary |
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| synopsis | On a remote patch of the Mojave Desert, amidst dusty tumbleweeds and rangy Joshua Trees, sits an anomaly: a high school where educators believe empathy, life skills, and the constancy of a caring adult are the differences that will give at-risk students command of their fates. On any given day, principal Vonda Viland calls kids at the crack of dawn to see if they’ll make it to school. And if they need a ride? Well, she’ll pick them up. Vonda knows each student’s challenges and coaches them tirelessly, never fostering false hopes. Her philosophy combines loving compassion with realism, and given her school’s rising graduation rate, it seems to be working. |
| lead actors | Wenhao Cai | Wen-You Cai | Cai Guo-Qiang | Ian Buruma |
| director | Louis Pepe | Keith Fulton |