X
- 2021
- R
- Netflix
- 1 h 40 m
- 2021
- R
- Netflix
- 1 h 40 m
Summary Reenactments drive this documentary investigating the mastermind behind a scam to get the kids of rich and famous families into top US universities. [Netflix]
Directed By: Chris Smith
Written By: Jon Karmen
- 2021
- R
- Netflix
- 1 h 40 m
- 2021
- R
- Netflix
- 1 h 40 m
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal
70
7.3
Where to Watch
Summary Reenactments drive this documentary investigating the mastermind behind a scam to get the kids of rich and famous families into top US universities. [Netflix]
Directed By: Chris Smith
Written By: Jon Karmen
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
70
82% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
18% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
70
82% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
18% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Most illuminating are the various journalists, attorneys, witnesses, and admissions counselors who testify to the case
It’s a healthy reminder that fighting corruption, even in something as mundane as college admissions, is vital to society’s health, that Americans need to at least believe there’s a “level playing field,” and that not guaranteeing that is how we mediocre our way from the top of the world to Banana Republic in just a generation.
The true drama in the admissions scandal is not the ringleader or the celebrities and hedge-fund magnates who hired him but what this Hunger Games scenario means for all the children whose parents cannot afford his services.
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admission Scandal is a documentary, yet Matthew Modine does some of the most oddly compelling work of his career in a fully realized performance in this movie.
The best nuggets come from the interviews, as when a lawyer remarks that when it comes to white-collar criminals, they historically have no filter on the phone.
Operation Varsity Blues provides more than proof that the American educational system is broken; it shows how many people want it to stay that way.
Despite the can't-miss subject matter, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal makes a near-fatal misstep, heavily using dramatic recreations in a way that leaves this Netflix production somewhere between Lifetime movie and documentary. The salacious aspects of the scandal still earn a passing grade, but due to the unwieldy hybrid format, just barely.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 12 User Ratings
7.3
75% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
25% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 12 User Ratings
7.3
75% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
25% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Release Date Mar 17, 2021
Duration 1 h 40 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline The man behind the scandal.
Awards
Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA)
• 1 Nomination
