First let me say that this movie left me feeling weird. I was rolling right along with it until Jason's Mom found out. It's was like enjoying a bike ride with decent weather and a pretty nice pace and then- CRASH! It just went off course in a really unbelievable way. I believe the relationship was realistic- he's 17 almost 18 and she's probably around 22 or 23 (4 years is a big deal between a student and a teacher but 4 years fast forward is not). I could believe that. But everything else happened too fast to be believable. In the span of about a week they fell in love, everyone found out, she gets raped by a colleague and she leaves him in an awful situation (albeit of his own making) because "she loves him" and then she takes the train to somewhere? Where is her car for starters? Why does she leave him knowing he's in a bad way (she doesn't know the details but she's guessed what he's been up to)? Part of Jason's charm is his passion and energy for Lila. So his Mom pretty much shatters his world with Lila and he says nothing beyond "she's leaving"? And the mother's response of a cliched "this too shall pass" speech rounded off by an offer to make him food? She said more to her husband about why it was wrong than what she said to her son that she feels was in danger from this woman. It's just really uneven and the end betrays what the actors tried to build in the beginning. It was a very poetic end, a very "Stay Gold" and keep your chin up type of ending; which would have been fine if it had a different beginning and middle (say if she'd never acted inappropriately with him and left before it got out of hand for his sake). The end needed to be fleshed out a whole lot more to have balance. If there was a sequel (and there have been smaller way less theatrically pleasing movies that have gone on to have sequels) then please give the people that spent their time watching it a better ending! It doesn't have to be happy- just more. Show Lila 5 years down the road still unable to be in a relationship (because between her ex-husband and her student, her picker is definitely flawed) and show Jason finally graduating from college in a normal relationship or with a job (maybe a teacher himself) or getting out of prison and needing a fresh start like Lila did when she first met him. But don't show us how good they could be but leave them more damaged than before, because where is the story telling in that? I'll tell you where- disappointing for the characters that in the beginning took so much time developing. I didn't feel like I was left wanting more from this ending, I felt disappointed like it just stopped in a bad way. Unfinished.
91 Reviews
Mediocre at best
WhoMadeYouGod7 November 2019
I had to write a review about this after reading all the 10/10 reviews already on here - now, forgive me for being cynical but I'm calling BS on the majority of them. There is absolutely no way this is a 10/10 movie, get a grip... clearly people involved in the production/ actors etc.
The storyline is so so but rather poorly done, as another reviewer stated it glamourises and romanticises a serious subject matter - which IMO is in poor taste. The actors I think do what they can but they aren't particularly engaging. Poor acting, poor writing, poor direction.
A typical TV/Prime low budget movie. Giving it a 6 is being generous.
The storyline is so so but rather poorly done, as another reviewer stated it glamourises and romanticises a serious subject matter - which IMO is in poor taste. The actors I think do what they can but they aren't particularly engaging. Poor acting, poor writing, poor direction.
A typical TV/Prime low budget movie. Giving it a 6 is being generous.
Straightforward teacher student affair
phd_travel10 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This isn't a Lifetime thriller type movie about a student teacher affair. Not a wacko stalker movie. Basically an affair, the discovery and it ends. No Mary Kay LeTourneau complications. Except a crazy teaching colleague rapist that seems out of place.
The teacher played by Alana de Freitas reminds a bit of Anne Heche. Her character sounds silly at times. That's quite realistic I guess since only a silly teacher would sleep with her student repeatedly. The student may be a slightly familiar face for Lifetime viewers.
Ok movie to watch but didn't quite get the point of the story if there was one.
The teacher played by Alana de Freitas reminds a bit of Anne Heche. Her character sounds silly at times. That's quite realistic I guess since only a silly teacher would sleep with her student repeatedly. The student may be a slightly familiar face for Lifetime viewers.
Ok movie to watch but didn't quite get the point of the story if there was one.
This is a difficult one to review......
skpn12320 October 2019
I really find nothing more descipable than student teacher relationships and I think an unstable woman like the lead character Lila should clearly not be teaching at all. However young Jared Scott does a stellar job as Jason and despite my strong views on this subject I could not help wondering by the end if Jason might be better off heading for the hills with Lila - he is in a serious pickle that will be hard to escape......
OMG Serious fake reviews
nituaggarwal13 January 2020
Delicate subject handled well
lindapalmer25 June 2020
Interesting teacher-student affair story
directortim20129 October 2019
An illicit affair, done with "class." OK, given it's an affair between a teacher and a student, that was kind of pun. But it's true! Given the premise, I kind of expected something like late-night Cinemax fare. But this film gave me way more than that. The affair in the story plays out in a very real, un-soapy kind of way. I believed in the reality of the characters and I felt for them. That's not to say the film isn't sexy... it is. But it's done with more sophistication and aplomb than one might expect. Well shot and especially well acted, by two very beautiful young actors. (The student kind of reminded me of a young Johnny Depp.) A very enthusiastic recommend for this movie!
interesting
KimmyTKA12 October 2019
Saw The Boy Next Door with JLo a few years ago. This actually plays the idea straighter and I thought the acting and camerawork is good. Some people might not like it because of the subject matter but I thought it was cool.
What the actual...
fatima-a-umar12 October 2019
A movie faced with actors who cant act. Glorifying a student teacher relationship. At times I felt like I was watching an Ex rated movie! I watched the best part of 30 minutes before I fell asleep to wake up to them in bed. What the actual eff... want my 30 minutes back please!
FORBIDDEN LOVE BUT SUPER INTERESTING
catfanatic88823 January 2020
I didn't expect much from this movie but it is actually a hidden gem. It is an intriguing film all the way by a great cast of somewhat unknown actors. It feels real not like a normal potboiler. The dialogue is believable and I Found myself anxious waiting for what happen next. It was really exciting and not a dull moment. And I found myself feeling compassionate towards the two leads as they seemed to have a genuine connection of love.
Low budget but good story
missrri15 August 2022
Hear me out. Yes, this is a low budget production, yes, it is a bit cringe in some places, yes, it can feel a bit forced to some, BUT it is nonetheless a good story with good dialogue throughout. The two main actors are VERY attractive (especially the young man) and I would go so far to say that Jared Scott (Jason) plays his character a lot better/more genuine than the writer of the movie herself (Lila). The dialogue is quite genuine and realistic and it makes for an enjoyable movie. If this was a Netflix -backed production, it would've been very cringe and fake and unwatchable. This movie however delivers a powerful story and it does have a seed in reality I think. I really enjoyed the story and the development of the plot. Very good work!
can not believe the great reviews
vickiswanson1 December 2021
Well, I am persevering, and half way through, only because of the incredible reviews and the astounding amount of award nominations ! Goes beyond belief,- it is so poorly acted, poorly edited, almost no soundtrack, really, really bad !!!!!
Good drama with reprocussions
thejhorton29 April 2020
On the surface it's kinda a lifetime movie. Teacher has an affair with her troubled student. But this is handled with a lot of care and features a really strong lead performance by the teacher and even a bit of suspense. Extra points for the score.
Interesting...
twwarrior14 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
It was an ok movie I give it 6/10. But some very stupid things that make it interesting to read reviews and see how others saw this movie, what am I talking about? Well, the teacher gets raped by another teacher, she does not report it to the police, she says because he will tell police about the student-teacher relationship. And then the movie ends without the rapist ever being brought to justice.
Am I seriously the only one who finds this extremely stupid or does this seem normal to you? Even if the rape did not happen, the movie ending would still be pretty damn stupid. (She leaves to protect him, and the boy goes on to commit crimes like his brother anyway LOL)
I said it was an ok movie but with what I said above, I change my rating to 1 star.
Am I seriously the only one who finds this extremely stupid or does this seem normal to you? Even if the rape did not happen, the movie ending would still be pretty damn stupid. (She leaves to protect him, and the boy goes on to commit crimes like his brother anyway LOL)
I said it was an ok movie but with what I said above, I change my rating to 1 star.
Zero chemistry
mcrboro12 August 2020
Acting
anthony-rey2117 December 2021
Overall the acting is bad and makes the audience uncomfortable all the way through.
The choice of actors is not bad but I think the director must be quite inexperienced and did not provide any guidance to the actors. Most scenes have the potential to be good, it's a shame the execution is bad.
The choice of actors is not bad but I think the director must be quite inexperienced and did not provide any guidance to the actors. Most scenes have the potential to be good, it's a shame the execution is bad.
Darkness before the light...
beemtoaustin27 August 2020
This will be very tough subject matter for those coming to it with preconceived opinions and overly judgmental attitudes. But let's be honest, these things do happen, and probably more often than we'd care to admit. Forbidden love, student-teacher relationships are doomed from the outset, and this film makes that clear in the very beginning. Performances from the two leads are sensitive and realistic, and deserving of the many awards. Give this good indie drama a good look and don't be surprised to see these actors a lot more in the future.
Awful waste of time!
nishil-patel13 January 2020
Deceptively Pot-Stirring
TheAll-SeeingI9 October 2019
"Before The Dawn" explores the viewer-dependent interpretation of a school teacher's empathy-turned-attraction for her adolescent student.
Lila Kendy (Alana de Freitas) is Ms. Kendy to you, should you be seated in her Catholic school classroom. She's presented as a committed educator, but her very real loneliness paired with her compassion for the struggles of youth summons in her a deep attraction to troubled student Jason (Jared Scott); a lad with great cheekbones who manages to be no less protypically pretty and actor-attractive than de Frietas herself in that Johnny Depp-ish, "21 Jump Street"-era sort of way. Soon, the two are flirting. Soon, they're sexing. But this story isn't sold as either a purely physical after-class tryst, or as a straight condemnation of their union tailored for PTA moms to rally behind. Instead, it's presented unashamedly as true love felt between two isolated people coming together, which as we know also isn't how the evening news (and potentially the court system) filters this forbidden tale. Of course, there's a prerequisite third wheel in the film, too, as rejected teacher-incel hybrid Mr. Matthews (Houston Rhines) can't self-check his own twisted, visceral condemnation to his discovery of it all.
It will be fascinating to see how "Before The Dawn" is received by disparate film consumers -- will they, on the mere simplicity of principle, reject Lila's emotional and physical engagement of her student as deviant and immoral, and potentially straight-up illegal (we're shrewdly never provided with Jason's age)? Or will they validate it by conceding that love -- even when society considers it utterly forbidden -- has a way of happening anyway? And as a whole different hairball, how will they process Lila's strategic reaction to Mr. Matthews' insidious behaviors? "Before The Dawn" is sure to prove polarizaring in these various ways. It's a deceptively plain-faced but potentially incendiary telling of this inconvenient but not-uncommon social phenomenon, which is sure to lead to a divided room of viewers. That's certainly also the film's coy ambition, as "Before The Dawn" provides for some ripe and engrossing post-processing.
Lila Kendy (Alana de Freitas) is Ms. Kendy to you, should you be seated in her Catholic school classroom. She's presented as a committed educator, but her very real loneliness paired with her compassion for the struggles of youth summons in her a deep attraction to troubled student Jason (Jared Scott); a lad with great cheekbones who manages to be no less protypically pretty and actor-attractive than de Frietas herself in that Johnny Depp-ish, "21 Jump Street"-era sort of way. Soon, the two are flirting. Soon, they're sexing. But this story isn't sold as either a purely physical after-class tryst, or as a straight condemnation of their union tailored for PTA moms to rally behind. Instead, it's presented unashamedly as true love felt between two isolated people coming together, which as we know also isn't how the evening news (and potentially the court system) filters this forbidden tale. Of course, there's a prerequisite third wheel in the film, too, as rejected teacher-incel hybrid Mr. Matthews (Houston Rhines) can't self-check his own twisted, visceral condemnation to his discovery of it all.
It will be fascinating to see how "Before The Dawn" is received by disparate film consumers -- will they, on the mere simplicity of principle, reject Lila's emotional and physical engagement of her student as deviant and immoral, and potentially straight-up illegal (we're shrewdly never provided with Jason's age)? Or will they validate it by conceding that love -- even when society considers it utterly forbidden -- has a way of happening anyway? And as a whole different hairball, how will they process Lila's strategic reaction to Mr. Matthews' insidious behaviors? "Before The Dawn" is sure to prove polarizaring in these various ways. It's a deceptively plain-faced but potentially incendiary telling of this inconvenient but not-uncommon social phenomenon, which is sure to lead to a divided room of viewers. That's certainly also the film's coy ambition, as "Before The Dawn" provides for some ripe and engrossing post-processing.
Dull, over-complicated and questionable
jillanniefranklin6 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Really did not particularly enjoy this film. It felt more like something you see on the Hallmark Channel than at the Indie Arthouse cinema - particularly during the "erotic" scenes.
The plot was far too complicated and at times seemed unrealistic - brother in jail, drug dealing (with the most cliche looking/talking gang ever). It was like they were trying to cram every single dramatic idea into one messy film. A lot of the reactions, particularly of the mother went totally out of character.
The two lead actors are probably the most beautiful people I've ever seen on screen and both seemed like they deserved a better script. Messy, unremarkable and forgettable.
The plot was far too complicated and at times seemed unrealistic - brother in jail, drug dealing (with the most cliche looking/talking gang ever). It was like they were trying to cram every single dramatic idea into one messy film. A lot of the reactions, particularly of the mother went totally out of character.
The two lead actors are probably the most beautiful people I've ever seen on screen and both seemed like they deserved a better script. Messy, unremarkable and forgettable.
Like every cliche teacher-student movie ever made
robtyrrell-9860717 January 2020
Good lord, this movie has been made dozens of times since the 80s...and almost always better. Clumsy plot development, predictable, cliche-ridden dialogue, bad acting, gaping plot holes; this one's got it all. At least the boy is incredibly hot.
One of the few movies that I actually gave up on and turned off before the end. Life is too short to waste the time watching this.
One of the few movies that I actually gave up on and turned off before the end. Life is too short to waste the time watching this.
Not Love
dalivethvictor25 May 2022
Okay maybe this is cos the American view of love is different, but I think there's no love in the movie but purely infatuation on both ends, the boy is clearly mesmerized by her beauty and figure and she by his demeanor and handsomeness, he caresses her firstly, he has no respect for the teacher relationship and doesn't care more about her reputation and job if she's found out, he doesn't think about her wellbeing in the true sense and when she leaves he doesn't go out of his way to be what she wants him to be, her on the other hand can't control her desires and let's herself loose knowing fully well what it leads to, you may say it's realistic situations but we do live in a society with it's laws, they can either choose to run away and not live in that Society, or show some restraint until he comes of age, I believe three years will be enough. Anyways all I got from the movie isn't some heart rending emotions.
Beautiful film about forbidden love
prescotttolk17 March 2020
Stumbled upon this indie gem! I love films that portray conflicted characters in complicated and unique situations. Alana de Freitas delivers an extraordinary performance by lending nuance and sympathy to Lila. I was completely sold on her attraction to Jason and their chemistry. I was impressed to discover that she also wrote and produced the film...she is definitely someone to watch and follow. Very well done film!
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