The Student Teachers (1973)

The Student Teachers is the kind of scrappy 1970s exploitation movie that unexpectedly snaps into focus as a sharp, fast-moving satire—part sex comedy, part anxious thriller—aimed at the hypocrisies of “respectability” in American schools. Jonathan Kaplan keeps the pacing taut and the characterization surprisingly economical, so the film doesn’t just coast on its lurid reputation; it keeps pivoting into absurd parody, social friction, and bursts of real nerve. The vibe is sleazy-but-clever, with a rebellious, anything-goes energy that makes it hard not to lean in, especially when it’s skewering authority figures and letting its heroines push back against the system. It’s absolutely not for everyone—sexual content is constant and the rape-terror subplot is ugly by design—but if you can handle its grindhouse edges, you may be surprised by how much craft and mischievous intelligence it smuggles into the fun.

The Student Teachers wants to be a cheeky, provocative mash-up of “progressive educators vs. uptight school board” and grindhouse thrills, using sex-ed debates and counterculture attitudes as its hook. The problem is it often feels less like satire or social commentary and more like an excuse to stitch together gratuitous nudity and an ugly sexual-violence thread, with a choppy structure that lurches from school drama to crime subplot without earning the connection. Performances and tone can be uneven, so if you’re hoping for smart, character-driven comedy or a coherent thriller, this will likely feel like a slog. If you’re specifically in the mood for early-’70s exploitation with occasional flashes of rebellious energy and a few genuinely interesting ideas about sex education, you may find some value—but it’s very much a “know what you’re signing up for” watch.