The History Boys

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The History Boys

R

2006

1h 47m

Comedy

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

103 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

An unorthodox teacher (Stephen Campbell Moore) and his colleagues (Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour) at a British grammar school try to prepare gifted young charges for the upcoming Oxford and Cambridge entrance exams. The students absorb the facts and figures thrown at them by academia, and in the process, they also learn a little about life.

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Critics Consensus

While not quite having the impact of its original stage version, The History Boys nevertheless is a witty and involving school drama.

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Toddy Burton

Austin Chronicle

Dec 30, 2006

3.5/5

If you like your British movies quick, raunchy, reflective, and bittersweet, then The History Boys is for you.

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Bruce Westbrook

Houston Chronicle

Dec 22, 2006

2/4

The film becomes a sermonette on tolerance. But with its one-sidedness, it fails to practice what it preaches.

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Terry Lawson

Detroit Free Press

Dec 22, 2006

3/4

The History Boys is a movie that asks questions like 'What is education really for anyway?' and asks them in an altogether witty, brainy way. It turns history into what it really is, the story of our lives.

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Geoff Berkshire

Metromix.com

Jul 6, 2010

3/5

The play's the thing -- the only thing -- here

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Apr 15, 2009

C-

In attempting to absolve the perverse actions of a teacher on the basis of his apparent tutoring skills, Alan Bennett has created a dubious work of fiction that is beyond empathy or humor.

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Betsy Bozdech

Hollywood.com

Nov 20, 2008

4/5

The History Boys is much less about lighting and composition than it is about Bennett's sharp, insightful script.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 7, 2026

the History Boys = a *3 and 1/2* star movie

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Yuri B.

@RyuBlack Jan 3, 2026

This was surprisingly better than I expected... & that ending is just eating at me... being that I had never seen the play, the whole film played out as new... and I won't forget that film for a quite a while... with impressive performances by all.

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Mike V

@Mike26 Dec 10, 2025

History. It's just one bloody thing after another. The History Boys is a 2006 British comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner 🏫 It’s very good! 😀 I’d definitely recommend it 👍🏼 S The story of an unruly class of bright, funny history students at a Yorkshire grammar school in pursuit of an undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge. Bounced between their maverick English master, a young and shrewd teacher hired to up their test scores, a grossly out-numbered history teacher, and a headmaster obsessed with results, the boys attempt to pass.

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P K

@Pohaku808 Aug 20, 2025

One of my favorite coming of age films. Very British, full of amazing actors and heartfelt storylines. Well worth the watch

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Leo V

@RT47592146 May 13, 2025

Well, first of all it is written by Alan Bennett, and directed by Nicholas Hytner . Then there is the cast, which is intact after runs in London, Australia and New York (Where I saw it). We are lucky to have it available and as the years tick by we can recommend it to our grandchildren, which is what I am doing in April of 2025.

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Mar 21, 2020

I was expecting this film to be great, based on reviews. However, I was very disappointed, mainly due to it being set in the wrong time. It was supposedly set in 1983, but the school and characters were clearly better placed in the 1950s. The weird teacher-pupil relationships creeped me out, and the blatant snobbery from the outset made it impossible for me to finish watching.

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Nicholas Hytner

Director

Richard Griffiths

Hector

Frances de la Tour

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Synopsis

An unorthodox teacher (Stephen Campbell Moore) and his colleagues (Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour) at a British grammar school try to prepare gifted young charges for the upcoming Oxford and Cambridge entrance exams. The students absorb the facts and figures thrown at them by academia, and in the process, they also learn a little about life.

Director: Nicholas Hytner
Producer: Kevin Loader, Damian Jones
Screenwriter: Alan Bennett
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: BBC, Free Range Films, DNA Films
Rating: R (Sexual Content|Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 21, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.7M
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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