Night School

In the summer of 2018, the cinematic landscape was basically a tug-of-war between high-concept superhero exhaustion and the burgeoning realization that movie stars—the kind whose names alone sell tickets—were becoming a rare species. Enter Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish. At the time, pairing these two felt like a comedic nuclear fusion. Hart was at the peak of his "shouting with charisma" era, and Haddish was still riding the supernova wave of Girls Trip. Putting them together in a movie about adult education seemed like a slam dunk for Universal, even if the premise felt like something plucked from a 1990s sitcom pitch meeting.

I watched this while my neighbor was power-washing his driveway right outside my window, and the rhythmic, aggressive drone of the water actually helped time some of the punchlines. It provided a steady backbeat to a film that is, if nothing else, incredibly loud.

The Hart-Haddish Battery

The plot is thin enough to see through: Kevin Hart plays Teddy Walker, a fast-talking salesman who accidentally blows up his workplace (literally) and finds himself forced to get his GED to land a financial job. To get that certificate, he has to survive a night school class presided over by Carrie (Tiffany Haddish), a teacher who has zero patience for his "mumbles and stumbles" routine.

The chemistry here isn't necessarily romantic; it’s more like two heavyweights in a sparring ring. Haddish plays the straight-woman role with a surprising amount of grit, frequently threatening to "beat the learning into" Teddy. It’s a fascinating pivot for her. While Hart is doing his usual high-octane physical comedy—bugging his eyes out and vibrating with nervous energy—Haddish grounds the movie. She’s the anchor that keeps the whole thing from floating off into pure absurdity.

However, there’s a nagging sense that the film doesn't quite know how to utilize their combined power. You have two of the funniest people on the planet, yet they often feel trapped in a script that looks like it was written on the back of a Chick-fil-A receipt. There are moments where you can tell they’re riffing—Hart has mentioned in interviews that the "Christian Chicken" scene was heavily improvised—and those are the moments where the movie actually breathes.

A Misfit Ensemble That Earns Extra Credit

While the marketing was all about the leads, the secret sauce of Night School is the supporting cast. The "misfit" students in Teddy’s class are a collection of "Hey, I know that guy!" faces who do a lot of the heavy lifting. Romany Malco is hilarious as Jaylen, a man convinced that robots are taking over the world, and Rob Riggle does exactly what Rob Riggle does best: play a lovable, loud-mouthed oaf.

The standout for me, though, was Taran Killam as the principal, Stewart. He’s Teddy’s high school nemesis who now carries a literal and metaphorical "big stick." He uses a bizarre, affected "Black voice" to try and intimidate Teddy, which is a risky comedic choice that pays off because of how pathetic the character is. It’s the kind of weird, specific character work that saves a middle-of-the-road comedy from being entirely forgettable.

Behind the scenes, director Malcolm D. Lee—who also directed Girls Trip—knows how to keep the pace moving. He’s a veteran of the ensemble comedy, and he ensures the 111-minute runtime doesn't feel like a three-hour detention. But even with his steady hand, you can feel the production’s $29 million budget straining to make "adults sitting in a classroom" look visually interesting.

The GED of Genre Movies

If we’re being honest, this movie has the nutritional value of a gas station corn dog. It’s satisfying in the moment, it hits the spots you expect it to hit, but you’re not going to be thinking about it two days later. In the era of streaming dominance, Night School feels like the kind of movie that was born to be a "Background Netflix Watch." It’s a theatrical release that doesn’t really demand a theater.

One thing I appreciated, though, was the film’s handling of Teddy’s learning disabilities. The reveal that he has dyslexia, dyscalculia, and "a touch of the ADHD" is played for laughs, but it also provides the movie's only real moment of heart. It’s a rare bit of contemporary sensitivity in a film that otherwise features a scene where Kevin Hart gets kicked in the face during a professional wrestling-themed study session. It’s this attempt to say something about the "forgotten" students that keeps the film from being a total wash.

Interestingly, the movie was a massive hit relative to its cost, proving that despite the rise of "superhero fatigue," there was still a massive audience for star-driven comedies. It’s a formula that’s becoming increasingly rare as studios pivot to existing IP. Night School doesn’t have a cape or a multiverse; it just has two very funny people trying to make you laugh for two hours. Sometimes, that’s enough.

Night School is the definition of a "C-student" movie. It does exactly enough work to pass the class, but it isn't going to be winning any academic awards. If you’re a fan of Kevin Hart’s specific brand of chaotic energy or Tiffany Haddish’s sharp-tongued delivery, there’s plenty here to enjoy on a rainy Tuesday night. Just don't expect it to change your life—it's just here to help you kill five minutes before your bus arrives.