Movie Review: Former US Secretary Of Labor, Robert Reich, Teaches His Final Semester At UC Berkeley In “The Last Class” Documentary

Movie Review: Former US Secretary Of Labor, Robert Reich, Teaches His Final Semester At UC Berkeley In “The Last Class” Documentary

Readers may remember our interview series with Professor Edelman, who held a similar government position to Robert Reich, as Counselor to the HHS Secretary under Bill Clinton.  Both came to very similar conclusions: it IS a crime to be poor in America; there is a huge disparity between the top 1% and the bottom 99%; these issues tend to affect minority groups disproportionately, and may have contributed to their overrepresentation in prison populations (both minorities and low income people tend to be in prison, often because they cannot afford a “real” attorney – different from a court appointed one in two ways:  they don’t always push for or accept plea deals and they cost more, but even court appointed attorneys have to be paid by the defendant in certain states). Professor Reich also has a successful YouTube channel where he discusses these topics endlessly to the delight of his many viewers. 

This is an excellent and highly recommended documentary. It follows Robert Reich, retiring professor at UC Berkeley.  He’s a professor of economics, which is often a very dry topic. But if you’ve seen this professor’s channel, you know that he makes these somewhat dry ideas very engaging and interesting. It’s clear from the short clips of his teaching itself that he uses the same style in his classes at the university.

“The Last Class” is an exploration of retirement in general and as it pertains specifically to university and college professors.  However, anyone who is on the edge of retirement knows the feelings of uncertainty it can bring.  You are expected to do something new, sometimes things that you have wanted to do for your whole life but had to wait for until now.  For Professor Reich, it is about starting a new chapter.  He already has a successful YouTube channel, which he is likely to continue for a time.  However, the concept in our culture of retiring and slowing down is not necessarily a good one.  Older adults tend to not get sufficient exercise, and this may be because they have stopped doing what they did before.

For a teacher, that meant walking the halls, walking in front of the classroom, walking back to the office after.  In other words, always active. To slow down after this and do nothing is not necessarily a good thing.  But it is something that people look forward to toward the end of their lives.  Some people can’t wait to retire while others, such as Professor Reich, seem like they will greatly miss being a professor.  One thing that I wonder about after watching the documentary is: what happens to all of those books after he leaves?  Will they be put to new uses or thrown away?  His office was loaded to the brim with books and textbooks of all types and on many different topics.  The books were an area of concern for him, but that question was not resolved in the film.  Hopefully, they will not end up in the landfill.

Professor Reich is an engaging teacher, and this documentary is well made and very interesting.  It isn’t like the usual documentary, as it is filmed more as ‘day in the life’ style, where we follow him around during the last weeks of his tenure at the university.  It can be wondered if he would have retired if it wasn’t required of him by the school.  It seems like he is a born natural teacher, and could have continued going for a very long time.  Part of him wanted to be finished as well, so there was an element of wistfulness about the whole film.  You are left wondering what is next for the professor now that his life has moved on.  Will he make new connections, new projects, new ideas?  Or is this the true end of his working life, and the next we will hear is that he moved across the world to get away from it all and just relax?  This documentary is quite excellent, and tackles an emotional and uncertain topic with great kindness and joy.  He is starting the next chapter on his life’s journey, and all of his former students and many others in the world are wishing him well on this new adventure.

If you enjoy documentaries, and like learning about economics topics, this documentary  is for you.  It is heartwarming and practical, and it does very well at expressing the emotions surrounding retirement.  I would highly recommend it, and would give it five stars.

Below is the release about the film, with details of how you can bring a screening in a theater near you.  To find a showing near you that is already scheduled, visit this link. For Staten Islanders, the only nearby cinema it is currently showing at is the Quad Cinema in Greenwich Village:

THE LAST CLASS, DOCUMENTARY ON ROBERT REICH, TO HOLD ONE-DAY-ONLY THEATRICAL ON DEMAND (TOD) SCREENINGS ON JULY 14 AND ON SEPTEMBER 17 POWERED BY GATHR

On the film’s opening weekend, Abramorama will host GATHR powered premieres on June 30^th at Arthouse Theaters including in Seattle, Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Berkeley, Phoenix, Miami, and Washington, D.C.

New York, NY, Berkeley, CA, Greater Boston, MA – June 25, 2025 – Following the announcement of its theatrical release beginning today at the QUAD Cinema with Abramorama, the documentary The Last Class, a moving portrait of economist and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, will launch a Theatrical On Demand (TOD) campaign powered by GATHR on July 14 and September 17, allowing audiences across the U.S. to purchase tickets at numerous nationwide locations and request local screenings in their communities.

The Last Class is a nuanced and deeply personal portrait of master educator Robert Reich teaching his final course and reflecting on a period of immense transformation, personally and globally. As he faces his final class, he wrestles with the dual realities of his own aging and his students inheriting a world out of balance. Directed by Elliot Kirschner and produced by Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse and Josh Melrod, the film is a production of CoffeeKlatch Productions in partnership with Inequality Media Civic Action.

Robert Reich says, “Education, like democracy, is not a spectator sport. It depends on community and active participation. It’s built through human connection. That’s why I’m glad The Last Class film team is launching a novel grassroots campaign focused on in-person screenings. A movie theater, like a classroom, can be a powerful space for shared experience and reflection—spurring discussion and helping rebuild trust, mutual understanding, and ultimately civic life.”

This nationwide events on July 14th and September 17th invite audiences to experience The Last Class in AMC and Cinemark theaters across the country through community-led screenings hosted by local ambassadors. Powered by GATHR’s community cinema platform, the screenings will expand the film’s reach beyond traditional theatrical venues, making it accessible to more viewers eager to engage with its urgent themes of democracy, education, and civic responsibility.

To increase accessibility, GATHR’s Pay It Forward ticketing model allows donors to subsidize the cost of Theatrical On Demand tickets for those who might not be able to afford them via tax-deductible contributions. In partnership with its sister organization The Gathr Foundation, this organic “take a penny, leave a penny” approach to movie tickets recently propelled Roadside Attractions’ GATHR powered City of Dreams to record-breaking admissions. In addition, The Last Class will also be available for community, campus, and other non-theatrical screenings via GATHR’s Non-Theatrical On-Demand platform.

GATHR’s CEO, Scott Glosserman, said, “Robert Reich’s community is vast, passionate, and widely dispersed. Traditional theatrical models simply can’t accommodate that kind of organic, grassroots energy. That’s where our Theatrical On Demand technology becomes essential—it’s a bottom-up distribution model designed to meet audiences wherever they are. Whether it’s a major city or a rural town, we can field and fulfill real-time demand, turning engagement into attendance at scale.”

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The GATHR powered June 30th screenings and the July 14th and September 17th Theatrical On Demand screenings are part of a broader campaign to spark meaningful conversations about inequality, public service, and the next generation of changemakers.

The list of cities screening the film on opening weekend are New York, Portland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Sacramento, Seattle, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Berkeley, Albuquerque, Houston, Washington, D.C., Boston, St. Louis, San Francisco, San Diego, Austin, St. Paul, San Jose and Miami.

Abramorama CEO Karol Martesko-Fenster added, “The Last Class invites viewers into Robert Reich’s classroom at a pivotal moment for our democracy, and we’re thrilled to partner with GATHR to get it into theaters nationwide. This kind of storytelling deserves more than just passive viewing—it demands participation, discussion, and community. That’s exactly what Theatrical On Demand can deliver.”

To host a screening, claim a ticket, or receive updates, visit TheLastClassFilm.com. The official trailer can be viewed here.

THE LAST CLASS (USA, 71 minutes, English) ABRAMORAMA and CoffeeKlatch Productions present an Inequality Media Civic Action Film. Featuring Robert Reich. Directed by Elliot Kirschner. Produced by Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse and Josh Melrod. Executive Produced by Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse and Ian Cheney. Edited By Josh Melrod. An Abramorama in partnership with GATHR North American Theatrical Release. For more information visit, www.thelastclassfilm.com

Banner Image: Film promo image. Image Credit – Falko Ink