The Penguin Lessons (2025) Film Review: Dead Poets Society meets Steve Coogan and his pet penguin

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In 1976, a cynical Englishman travels to a divided Argentina to teach at a boys' boarding school, only to have his life transformed by a penguin he rescues from an oil spill.

The Penguin Lessons (2025) is based on the 2015 memoir of the same name by Tom Michell and was adapted by Jeff Pope for the silver screen. Peter Cattaneo, the man behind The Full Monty (1997) and Military Wives (2019), is at the helm, and the movie was shot on location in Spain.

What would, on the surface, appear to be an overly sentimental, gimmicky premise surprises with a nuanced, tender portrait of self-discovery and rehabilitation, which is bound to affect even the cold-hearted of viewers.

This film would not work without Coogan's remarkable performance, who delivers on the typical dry, straight-talking gentleman, which leads to plenty of infectious humour throughout. The actor spent months with real penguins to develop a believable rapport between bird and human, and the results are truly poignant. He also excels at bringing on the complex emotions during the film's most touching scenes and fully commits to every part of the role. The reasons for his world weariness are slowly revealed to us in small moments and are sensitively handled by the script and Coogan's delicate delivery.

It is admirable that the production team opted to use real penguins over CGI, bringing a tangible sense of realism to the film, made even more charming by the fact that the movie is based on a true story. It looks beautiful on the big screen, with the on-location shooting conveying an inviting warm colour palette and high-quality cinematography by Xavi Gimenez. There is nothing flashy or groundbreaking on display, but this is not needed for such a grounded story examining people and their affinity with animals.

Tom (Coogan) grows a soft spot for his new feathered friend

The movie manages to effectively balance the quirky side of a penguin living in a boarding school with a dark and thought-provoking backdrop of the brutal Argentine regime of the 1970s. Although the story does not dive too far into its geo-political themes, enough is shown to give audiences a decent picture of the tensions that existed during this period, and further drives Coogan's portrayal of Michell to consider his own position on life.

In today's cinema landscape dominated by remakes, reboots, superhero flicks, and big action blockbusters, it is always a refreshing pleasure to witness a simple, small-scale story brought to life for everyone to enjoy. Both heartfelt and genuinely funny, The Penguin Lessons provides a thoroughly entertaining look into the human condition, with the help of a friendly little penguin and a truly engrossing lead performance. Definitely worth a watch!

Check out the trailer for The Penguin Lessons (2025) below, and let me know your thoughts in the comments!