Cillian Murphy is the name on top of the billing, and he gives a raw performance in the lead role, but really, this feels like a strong group effort as he guides a small team of teachers through what seems to be an endless series of battles with some seriously disruptive teenagers. He’s assisted by his deputy, “Amanda” (Tracey Ullman), who self-medicates regularly, and faces extra pressure because a local BBC television crew is coming to film a story about the school; the local MP plans to join in on that coverage as well, and council representatives are also present that day to explain that the school’s future – costing around £30k per pupil annually – is making the entire operation increasingly unsustainable. Our introduction to the residents shows us “Shy” (Jay Lycurgo) dancing in a field while getting "baked" at 10am! Then there's “Jamie” (Luke Ayres), larger than life and quick-witted enough to rile up everyone else; “Riley” (Joshua J. Parker) is like the Duracell Bunny, only much faster. “Shola” (Little Simz) is the new teacher, and Emily Watson’s “Jenny” attempts to understand the reasons behind their erratic behavior. They're certainly foul-mouthed, violent, and unpleasant – but they are also intelligent; they fight and argue, yet there’s loyalty among them, even affection. Each character has a chance to be in the spotlight, but the focus is primarily on “Steve,” a man struggling with his own issues, and “Shy,” whose behavior led his mother and stepfather to cut ties with him. You get the impression that both men are facing similar challenges, one wearing a tie and the other orange-foam headphones – and both deliver emotionally powerful performances. Ullman provides strong and sympathetic support to almost everyone, and there’s a unifying appearance from Roger Allam as the typically pompous and condescending MP “Montague-Powell” (pronounced “Pole”), who, like most people who hadn't actually lived in this rapidly decaying stately home, had little idea of what went on here or how vital this institution was in providing some sense of hope, security, and stability to young men whose mental clarity fluctuated as predictably as the tides shown so often in the poster on the wall. The final moments serve as a powerful reminder that these staff members are professionals who must try to balance their careers with their personal lives, and the clever use of a tape recorder as an aide-memoir for “Steve” also helps the audience understand just how stressful everyone’s lives were. Despite how futile their efforts often seemed, these weren't people inclined to give up – regardless of the sacrifices they would routinely have to make. The students? Their acting is natural, entertaining, chilling, and energetic, all while giving us a sense of their vulnerability, loneliness, and reliance on one another—despite their bravado and pranks. It’s a fast-paced film that makes you realize there can be no price put on the teachers' vocational skills or the provision of “care” for these people whom society at large would likely consider dangerous and who would almost certainly imprison. It’s a delicate subject to convey with honesty, but I believe it does make you pause and reflect—and laugh occasionally, too.

Source on TMDB