Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- awkward
- provocative
- sardonic
- 1980s movie night
- coming of age double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an uneven and uncomfortable blend of prep-school comedy and serious sexual drama, with the tonal shifts undermining its premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Seventeen-year-old Jonathan is pushed toward sexual experience and becomes involved with an older woman.
Jonathan receives a scholarship to a prestigious school and rooms with wealthy, socially confident Skip.
The film repeatedly frames Jonathan's sexual confusion and exposure through awkward humor and painful humiliation.
Jonathan's affair with Ellen becomes catastrophic when he learns she is Skip's mother.
Films like Class, and why
The Graduate
shared coming-of-age focus, sexual initiation, and tonal tension between comedy and drama
The First Time
shared older-woman younger-man affair, provocative romance, and dramatic comedy
School Ties
shared prep-school setting, adolescent sexuality, and uneasy darkly comic tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Lewis John Carlino
- Release Date
- 1983-07-22
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (214)
Cast
- Jacqueline Bisset
- Rob Lowe
- Andrew McCarthy
- Cliff Robertson
- Stuart Margolin
- John Cusack
- Alan Ruck
- Rodney Pearson
- Remak Ramsay
- Virginia Madsen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Class about?
- A sheltered scholarship student’s attempt at sexual self-discovery spirals into an awkward affair with his roommate’s mother.
- What is Class like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Class as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Class violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Class.
- What did critics think of Class?
- Critics broadly found the film an uneven and uncomfortable blend of prep-school comedy and serious sexual drama, with the tonal shifts undermining its premise.
- Which films are like Class?
- Films with a similar feel include The Graduate, The First Time, and School Ties.
- How long is Class?
- Class runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Class?
- In United States, Class streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
