The Bad Kids (2016): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2016, The Bad Kids is a documentary film directed by Keith Fulton, running about 101 minutes.

What it’s about. On a remote patch of the Mojave Desert, amidst dusty tumbleweeds and rangy Joshua Trees, sits an anomaly: a high school where educators believe empathy, life skills, and the constancy of a caring adult are the differences that will give at-risk students command of their fates. On any given day, principal Vonda Viland calls kids at the crack of dawn to see if they’ll make it to school. And if they need a ride? Well, she’ll pick them up. Vonda knows each student’s challenges and coaches them tirelessly, never fostering false hopes. Her philosophy combines loving compassion with realism, and given her school’s rising graduation rate, it seems to be working.

Who’s in it. The Bad Kids stars Ian Buruma as Himself, Cai Guo-Qiang as Himself, Wen-You Cai as Herself and Wenhao Cai as Herself.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.2/10, The Bad Kids has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Bad Kids page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Bad Kids tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.