---
title: "Half Nelson"
year: 2006
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/half-nelson"
fi1m_id: "half-nelson"
imdb_id: "tt0468489"
tmdb_id: 7859
wikidata_id: "Q1156078"
fi1m_score: 81
critics_score: 77
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-10-06T12:12:43.294086+00:00"
region: "CL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Half Nelson (2006)

Directed by Ryan Fleck · 1h 47m · Drama

## Identity

Half Nelson

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/half-nelson
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** half-nelson
- **IMDb ID:** tt0468489
- **TMDB ID:** 7859
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1156078
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468489/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/7859, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1156078

**Fi1m score: 81** · Critics 77 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* For once, the inspirational teacher is in no condition to give the speech

> Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps make *Half Nelson* a quietly affecting drama about a teacher’s addiction and an uneasy friendship. Its political passages are less persuasive, but the performances give us ample reason to stay.

## Synopsis

Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is a teacher whose working life exists alongside a dependence on crack. His pupil Drey (Shareeka Epps) becomes his friend, bringing the responsibilities of the classroom into a relationship neither can keep simple. As they get to know each other, the question of who needs help, and who can offer it, becomes harder to settle. Ryan Fleck directs this drama, co-written with Anna Boden, which follows the teacher and pupil as their friendship brings personal difficulties into contact with questions about responsibility and social change.

## Review

The prospect of a teacher dependent on crack befriending one of his pupils invites several kinds of bad film. There could be a lesson in tolerance, a warning about drugs, or a child put to work repairing an adult. Ryan Fleck’s *Half Nelson* is a fine drama because it treats the relationship as difficult even when the two people involved mean well. We recommend it for Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps, whose performances keep the friendship interesting when the writing becomes thin.

Gosling plays Dan Dunne without reducing him to a list of symptoms. His ease with the character is important: Dan remains someone another person might want to spend time with, which makes his difficulties harder to dismiss. Gosling does not turn every moment into an invitation to pity him, and his restraint leaves us room to feel uneasy about a man we like. Fleck and co-writer Anna Boden let Dan be sympathetic without excusing him.

Epps is just as important, and the film would be considerably poorer if Drey existed only to observe Dan. Her guarded responses make us conscious of the effort involved in deciding how much of herself to offer him. We were moved by her watchfulness, because Epps makes Drey’s concern for Dan look like something that requires effort. Drey’s reactions matter, and Epps makes sure we wait for them.

Andrij Parekh’s cinematography makes the restrained acting readable without turning every hesitation into a major event. Faces are interesting enough here, and the photography trusts that. Beth Mickle’s production design also helps the everyday surroundings feel occupied, allowing our attention to stay with the people rather than their circumstances. That unobtrusive approach suits a story asking us to notice small changes in how two people regard each other, although it gives the actors a considerable amount to carry.

Boden, who also edits, gives the two leads time to register each other’s uncertainty. The pace mostly suits their caution, although a few stretches feel held over for a depth the writing has not quite supplied. Kevin Drew’s music belongs to the same low-key approach, and we appreciate its reluctance to make the friendship sound grander than it is. A little tightening would help the scenes in which neither character has much new to offer the other.

The larger weakness comes when Fleck and Boden try to connect the personal troubles to political history. The Civil Rights interludes are worth attending to, but the film is less clear about what they add to Dan and Drey’s relationship. We can understand why the writers want to look beyond these two people; we still need those wider concerns to affect their story more decisively. Too often, a passage about history interrupts the people we have been getting to know.

The familiar teacher-and-pupil drama comes with an expectation of progress, and Fleck is right to make us question it. He also avoids treating the wish to help another person as foolish, however ill-equipped Dan may be. Gosling and Epps are persuasive enough to sustain these 107 minutes through the occasional lull. Choose *Half Nelson* for an evening when neither of you needs to be reassured that people can sort themselves out.

*Fi1m score 81, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Half Nelson, with praise centred on Ryan Gosling’s restrained performance as a drug-dependent teacher and Shareeka Epps’s work as his pupil. The reviews repeatedly single out their credible, wary friendship and the film’s refusal to turn it into a conventional inspirational-teacher story. Its quiet direction and sympathetic treatment of flawed people are widely seen as strengths, allowing the drama to move audiences without relying on sentimentality or big confrontations.

The disagreements concern how much that restraint achieves, and how convincingly the personal story connects with wider politics. The New York Times welcomes the film’s political consciousness, while The Guardian finds its social implications uncertain and its narrative thin. The Financial Times is a sharper dissenter, finding the lack of showmanship dull despite the realism and absence of sentimentality; most critics find considerably more emotional force in the same low-key approach.

## Straight answers

**Is Half Nelson worth watching?**

*Half Nelson* is worth watching for anyone who wants a drama about addiction and friendship that refuses easy comfort, and we scored it 81. Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps carry it; the film is weaker when it tries to link their story to political history, and a few scenes could be tighter. Choose it for an evening when you do not need reassurance.

**How long is Half Nelson, and what is it rated?**

*Half Nelson* runs 1h 47m. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch Half Nelson in Chile?**

*Half Nelson* is not on any streaming or rental service in Chile at the moment. It is available in 9 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Half Nelson, and is it suitable for children?**

*Half Nelson* carries a 15 certificate in the UK and an R in the US, for a story built around a teacher's dependence on crack rather than for violence or scares. The review describes a quiet, restrained drama with little to frighten the squeamish, but the drug use and the uneasy adult-child friendship make it unsuitable for younger children.

### Reviews we read (16)

- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film essential viewing for its assurance, restraint, and psychological acuity, noting it approaches familiar themes in a compelling new way. It singles out the subtlety in writing, directing, and acting, particularly Gosling’s commanding performance and the film’s care for its characters and fragile friendships. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-aug-25-et-nelson25-story.html)
- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (A-): The film succeeds by underplaying its potentially sentimental premise of a crack-addicted teacher, avoiding easy redemption and histrionics through low-key drama and subtle performances. Gosling's nuanced portrayal of inner conflict and the earned, touching denouement are highlighted as strengths. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/half-nelson-1798201932)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (85/100, inferred): The critic hails the film as a rare American fiction work that openly embraces political consciousness as a moral imperative. It singles out the unusually nuanced interracial relationship between the teacher and student, along with the lead performances and everyday texture. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/11/movies/in-half-nelson-a-student-knows-a-teachers-secret.html)
- **The Times**, Cosmo Landesman (85/100, inferred): The film is subtle, fresh and beautifully sad, utterly devoid of sentimentality or big dramatic scenes, and exerts a powerful hold through its portrayal of an unlikely friendship between a messed-up teacher and his pupil. Ryan Gosling gives one of the outstanding performances of the decade. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/half-nelson-the-sunday-times-review-n8687bp6z88)
- **Time Out**, Ben Walters (80/100, inferred): The film offers a refreshingly uningratiating, nuanced acknowledgment of bad in good and good in bad, with a complex balancing act of power and sympathy. Both Gosling and Epps are terrific in demanding empathy without reassuring paths to salvation. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/half-nelson-1)
- **Variety**, Dennis Harvey (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the terrific performance by Ryan Gosling as the chief reason to embrace the film and notes its sympathetic but toughly observed approach that avoids melodrama. It singles out the credible rapport between the teacher and student as well as the low-key drama that builds to a powerful impact. [Read](https://variety.com/2006/film/awards/half-nelson-1200519077/)
- **Screen Daily** (75/100, inferred): The tired clichés of the inspirational teacher/pupil relationship are turned on their head, offering a haunting snapshot of an unlikely friendship between two wary individuals. Exceptional performances from Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps lend raw integrity. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/half-nelson/4031150.article)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): The film offers an enjoyable and impressive central character in the drug-addicted teacher played by Ryan Gosling, with strong naturalistic direction and performances that avoid inspirational-teacher clichés. However, it lacks narrative depth and grapples uncertainly with larger social and political implications. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/apr/20/drama2)
- **Financial Times**, Nigel Andrews (40/100, inferred): Half Nelson is an energy-saving bulb by comparison to more energetic films, dimmer and duller but with greater planetary enlightenment, featuring street-level realism and no sentimentality in its redemptive buddy story. Fleck's artistic integrity results in a lack of showmanship that makes the film dull. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/5db5a80c-edb8-11db-8584-000b5df10621)
- **Empire**, Angie Errigo: The critic praises the film's originality in sidestepping clichés of inspirational-teacher and drug-dependency dramas, calling it a moving, realistic, and uplifting work with strong performances, especially Ryan Gosling's nuanced lead turn. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/half-nelson-review/)
- **Evening Standard**: The critic lauds the authentic, underplayed performances by Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps as the standout elements in this slice-of-life drama about a drug-addicted teacher and his student, while noting the polemic elements and Civil Rights interludes as its weakest aspect. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/come-on-teach-school-me-7394496.html)
- **Sight and Sound**, Ryan Gilbey: The film fuses gritty US indie spirit with inspirational movie tropes in an unusual way, offering a nuanced take on opposing forces without easy resolutions. Exceptional performances from Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps are singled out for praise. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/3780)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager: The critic finds the film a nuanced but ultimately lightweight Sundance-style character study that fails to meaningfully connect its personal story to broader historical and social themes. Gosling's subtle performance and the restrained direction are praised, but the redemption arc and underdeveloped commentary are criticized. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/half-nelson/)
- **Total Film**: The review hails it as the first great film of 2007, a riveting close-up character study of addiction and connection that showcases Gosling's naturalistic, subtle performance as a teacher in crisis and the strong supporting work by Shareeka Epps. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/half-nelson-review/)
- **The Skinny**, Paul Greenwood (★★★★): The critic finds the film dominated by Ryan Gosling's stunning, Oscar-nominated performance as a crack-dependent teacher. The central friendship with a student is singled out as the element that gives the drama its purpose and emotional core. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/half-nelson)
- **Eye for Film**, Darren Amner (75/100, inferred): The film is a believable, smart and moving character study of a troubled teacher and his student. It avoids inspirational drama clichés for a realistic, fresh take, with standout performances from Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/half-nelson-film-review-by-darren-amner)

## Details

- **Director:** Ryan Fleck
- **Director:** Ryan Fleck
- **Writer:** Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
- **Cinematography:** Andrij Parekh
- **Editor:** Anna Boden
- **Music:** Kevin Drew
- **Production design:** Beth Mickle
- **Costume design:** Erin Benach
- **Producer:** Lynette Howell Taylor, Rosanne Korenberg, Alex Orlovsky
- **Cast:** Ryan Gosling as Dan Dunne; Shareeka Epps as Drey; Anthony Mackie as Frank; Jeff Lima as Roodly; Monique Gabriela Curnen as Isabel; Tina Holmes as Rachel; Nathan Corbett as Terrance; Tyra Kwao-Vovo as Stacy
- **Runtime:** 1h 47m
- **First release (the US):** 23 January 2006
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Budget:** $700,000
- **Box office:** $5 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNdg2Ds3Fpw

## Where to watch in Chile

Not streaming, renting or buying in Chile at the last check.

Also available in: AT, CA, CH, ES, GB, IE, IT, NL, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2007: Best Actor (nominated)
- Independent Spirit Awards 2007: Best Director (nominated); Best First Screenplay (nominated); Best Female Lead (won); Best Male Lead (won)
- Producers Award 2007: Producers Award (nominated)
- SAG Awards 2007: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (nominated)
- Critics' Choice Awards 2006: Best Actor (nominated)
- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor 2006: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (nominated)
- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress 2006: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress (nominated)
- Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture 2006: Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture (nominated)
- Satellite Award for Best Film 2006: Satellite Award for Best Film (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Kid with a Bike* (2011): Another wary child tests how much an imperfect adult can offer.
- *The Class* (2008): Classroom authority meets pupils with lives the teacher cannot neatly explain.
- *A Taste of Honey* (1961): A young woman builds an unconventional household without much dependable adult help.
- *Nobody Knows* (2004), Fi1m 87: Children manage adult failures in a drama that keeps sentiment firmly contained. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/nobody-knows.md)
- *The Rider* (2017): Another young man struggles with who he can be when familiar certainties disappear.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/half-nelson