Review: “The Penguin Lessons” is a charming tale of a troubled teacher and his penguin friend

“The Penguin Lessons” is based on the memoir of Tom Michell (Steve Coogan), a teacher assigned to work at a boy’s school in Argentina amidst the Dirty War, a period when the country had a military dictatorship and over 30,000 people were killed or disappeared.

During a trip, Tom rescued an oil-soaked penguin on a beach and decided to keep him at his school to bring enlightenment and positivity on his students. 

The synopsis of “The Penguin Lessons” is a fool-proof charmer for heart-warming period films set in a war. The animal will always save the day, regardless of the intensity of the challenge, and can influence laughs and tears from the audience when you do it right. This film does it well. 

Steve Coogan’s Tom is troubled and supremely careless up until he met that penguin. This is the kind of person who used to ditch this animal to win a night with a woman he met in a bar. The reason to go watch this movie is Coogan’s signature dry comedy and his ever-evolving dramatic flair. He brings vulnerability in Tom that have proved to be effective for the film’s touching moments in the third act.

“The Penguin Lessons” is the most charming when the film focuses on Tom’s relationship with his penguin. Often, the film tries to steer the narrative toward the more political aspects of the environment, but it never becomes as strong as that innocent bond between the teacher and his animal friend. 

A scene involving a woman being kidnapped could’ve been more tense, but it just passes by quickly. The subplot about the journey to rescue her out of abduction also felt shoehorned into the overall narrative. 

I feel “The Penguin Lessons” can be improved with more nuance in its many conflicts. One minute, it’s a heartwarming animal comedy and quickly it becomes a serious investigation flick. It’s not about the lack of focus, but the balance to make it feel cohesive and complete.

But the film is still worth watching for its tender moments. It affected me, so I’m sure a lot of audiences will.

“The Penguin Lessons” opens in New Zealand cinemas this 17 April 2025 from Madman Entertainment.