Movie · 2009 · Drama, Romance · 1h 40m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 6.7/10 (226K ratings)
An education isn't always by the book.
Overview
Despite her sheltered upbringing, Jenny is a teen with a bright future; she's smart, pretty, and has aspirations of attending Oxford University. When David, a charming but much older suitor, motors into her life in a shiny automobile, Jenny gets a taste of adult life that she won't soon forget.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.7/10
IMDb: 7.2/10
Letterboxd: 3.55/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Metacritic: 85
TMDB: 6.9/10
Director
Lone Scherfig
Production
BBC Film, Wildgaze Films, Endgame Entertainment
Cast
Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Sally Hawkins, Emma Thompson, James Norton, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, William Melling, Connor Catchpole, Matthew Beard, Ellie Kendrick, Nick Sampson, Bel Parker, Luis Soto, Olenka Wrzesniewski, Bryony Wadsworth
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, bittersweet coming-of-age drama with a strong central performance and a clear-eyed look at seduction, class, and self-deception. It’s especially rewarding if you like character-driven period pieces that balance warmth, wit, and discomfort.
Best for
fans of intimate British dramas
viewers who like coming-of-age stories with moral complexity
people drawn to performances centered on a young woman’s awakening
audiences interested in class and gender dynamics
Skip if
you want a fast-moving plot
you prefer romance that stays uncomplicated
you’re looking for a feel-good teen movie
you dislike stories about manipulation and age-gap relationships
Overview
An Education is one of those coming-of-age films that feels deceptively light at first, then quietly sharpens into something sadder and more revealing. Lone Scherfig keeps the tone elegant and accessible, but the movie is always alert to the way charm can disguise exploitation, especially when a teenager mistakes sophistication for freedom.
Worth noting
Carey Mulligan gives Jenny a mix of intelligence, vanity, curiosity, and vulnerability that makes the character feel painfully real. The film’s period detail and social observation are strong, but what lingers is the emotional precision: the parents, the schoolgirl fantasies, the allure of adult spaces, and the humiliating crash of learning what the world actually is.
Bottom line
It’s not a sweeping tragedy or a glossy romance; it’s a measured, humane disillusionment story. That restraint is part of its power, and it’s why the film still lands as both a warning and a portrait of self-invention under pressure.
Top Letterboxd reviews
cathy (4★) · 2793 likes
if a creepy older guy offered me the chance to be friends with Rosamund Pike I would be tempted
kathryn (4★) · 1488 likes
i didn't trust that store-brand colin firth
Holly-Beth (4.5★) · 1451 likes
psa: do not leave school for an older man he is 100% guaranteed to be a literal steaming pile of shit
Casey (4★) · 1114 likes
she really got educated! trust no man!
Bethany (5★) · 1107 likes
watching coming-of-age films directed by women as a woman is like reading your own diary or watching certain aspects of your life be played out right in front of you. it's scary and so personal and makes me feel like i'm being called out. films like this make me realize why i fell in love with cinema