T.M. Landry College Prep, an unconventional K–12 school in rural Louisiana that touts a record of sending its students to elite universities, blew up in popularity through its viral college acceptance videos. Founder Mike Landry demands excellence and has built a teaching philosophy centered on cultivating a winner’s mentality in students. Enrolling gave students hope that the school would, as one person puts it, “fix everything and give me a future.” Outside the frame of the unrelenting demands of school, the film captures the muted beauty of adolescence in scenes of students going to the mall, studying together after school, and setting off fireworks in the park. But then an article in the New York Times proves to be a turning point in the story of T.M. Landry’s legacy. As the school faces intense scrutiny, director Dan Chen focuses on four students’ personal journeys that culminate in a tumultuous senior year. Each student is forced to confront what it means to be “accepted.”  KL  

Filmmaker Q&A available

Closed captioning available

This film is only available to viewers in the United States