A disturbing glorification of sadism and masochism using excellence as an excuse.

Rating: 3/10 (26 January 2016)

This movie delivers a truly disturbing and sick message to impressionable young people. The carrot that it dangles is "excellence:" and "immortality", but the ugly reality is that this movie is about a sadist, sociopath music teacher who enjoys mentally, verbally and to a lesser extent, physically, torturing his students. The supposed drive for excellence is only the rationalization that the douche bag uses to get away with it. Excellence can and has been achieved without resorting to this sort of mental violence.
Even more disturbing than Fletcher is Andrew, his student. Only someone with extreme low self esteem would subject themselves to the level of abuse he accepts. Andrew obviously has some serious psychological issues because he sabotages himself at critical moments so that Fletcher can have more reasons to insult and demean him. He seems unable to set an alarm clock, pay attention when he is driving and even more preposterously for a person supposedly obsessed with becoming the greatest drummer the world has ever seen, he forgets his drumsticks at a critical moment. The only conclusion you can draw is that he is a masochist.
This movie is really about homoerotic sadomasochism, complete with jealousy fits. It's not about music or the drive for excellence. Make no mistake about it.