From the cliché and comedic to the gutting and real.
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Ours is a hateful world. When most cities and schools and social functions shut down last year, one might have expected a boon of solidarity—and there was certainly a shared sense of struggle and humanness—but the world’s retreat to online social platforms also meant that the teasing and hazing, which might have occurred IRL, was now exploding online. Organizations that track online harassment found an instant 70 percent uptick in cyber bulling and hate speech following global lockdown. On Twitter, there was a 900 percent increase in hate speech directed at Chinese users and peoples. (That hate speech has since translated into hate crimes.)
Cinema has a complicated history with depicting bullying—a term we’ll use to encompass all forms of repeated power abuses in which individuals are harmed physically or psychologically through speech or action. Films have either normalized bullying as another natural stage of the school ecosystem, or else nearly romanticized the activity—as the necessary stage of any strong character development; our hero must be weak and preyed upon before he can grow. In the latter context, bullying becomes unavoidable and often even desirable. It’s how one builds character and overcomes obstacles. If you were writing the next teen superhero comic, you may not think twice about having your protagonist take a school locker slam; it’s natural to write an underdog.
Of course, when it comes to bullying at school, the crime has become more varied, with students now the targets of bullying both on campus and online. Peter Parker isn’t just getting physically pushed around; he’s being relentlessly dragged through social media. He’s also likely facing mental health challenges. Students are nearly twice as likely to attempt suicide if they are cyber bullied, according to some research.
The complexity means that cinema must find more nuanced ways to depict bullying other than comedic character development. That said, there are a few films that have been able to break through cliché and show us something more rooted in reality. And even films that have used the crime for comedy are not all misguided; Mean Girls is still a great movie and one that doesn’t have to be read as a cliché.
Here are the best movies about bullying you can watch right now.
Mean Girls (2004)
Let's start with some comedy (because things will only get darker from here). While Mean Girls generally plays high school hazing off for laughs, the tone is irony—and so the film's treatment of both the culprits and the acts tends to be self-conscious and sardonic. But, like most comedies, we laugh because ultimately some things are painfully true.
Elephant (2003)
While no bullying occurs on-screen, it's understood to be one of the primary motivators for the film's central act: a fictional school shooting. It's near impossible to take on this topic artistically without inadvertently portraying revenge fantasy or needlessly depicting suffering, but director Gus Van Sant pulls it off. It's one of the most haunting and affecting films you will ever watch. Period.
Let the Right One In (2008)
Horror has always been a trojan horse genre: we expect one thing from the form, but mostly end up getting something deeper. Those deeper things are often sociological. At its cold vampire heart, Let the Right One In is a film about friendship and belonging—and the violence against those who stand apart.
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Disconnect (2013)
One of the film's several storylines involves a case of cyberbullying, a phenomenon only recently becoming a plot point in film and television. What makes Disconnect stand out is how it follows both users—the bullies and the victim. The dynamic is more tragic than predatory.
Bully (2012)
The documentary follows five American students who face constant bullying. Of particular focus are two young men, Tyler Long and Ty Smalley, both of whom committed suicide after experiencing bulling. The film is heavy but necessary, and it features several anti-bulling advocates whose message remains pertinent.
The King of Pigs (2011)
Based on director Yeon Sang-ho's own experiences at school in South Korea, the film recounts one boy's near-constant hazing and abuse. It's a violent, visceral movie, and an overall stunning piece of art and animation.
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Moonlight (2016)
Broken into three parts, Moonlight's second chapter finds its protagonist repeatedly abused at school. The event is so impactful on his life that a consequential act of violence punctuates that section of the story and signals the character's major shift into adulthood. These are the scars he'll carry forever.
Wonder (2017)
Based on the novel of the same name by R. J. Palacio, Wonder follows a young boy, born with a facial deformity, just before his entrance into middle school. While the film came under some criticism for its casting choices and storyline, it broaches a topic well worth discussing.
After Lucia (2012)
After losing her mother and moving to Mexico City, a 17-year-old girl experiences online sexual harassment from her classmates. It's not the most hopeful of films, but, hey, sometimes art has to be difficult. Sometimes it has to shake you.
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Speak (2004)
Now that we're in the difficult art category, there's Speak, a film about a high school freshman who refuses to talk after a traumatic incident the summer going into school. Based on the novel of the same name, the film is somehow able to take on these topics with a seriocomic tone.
A Silent Voice (2017)
A Silent Voice (based on the manga) follows the bully, here an outcast facing similar mistreatment and contemplating suicide. He decides instead to seek forgiveness from the girl he hazed as a younger student.
Better Days (2019)
Though some considered it one of the best films of the year, Better Days was kept from most western audiences upon release. The heartbreaking film about suicide and friendship in a Chinese school is now available to watch. And you totally should.
