My Old School (2022) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie takes place primarily in Bearsden, a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland, where the central school setting is located. The story also references the University of Dundee, which serves as a key backdrop for the protagonist's pursuit of medicine.

• bearsden
• scotland
• dundee
• setting
• location
• school

The core events take place in the 1970s, when an adult man returns to secondary school under an alias. The film uses period details, interviews, and recreations from that era to reconstruct these memories.

• 1970s
• time period
• era
• 1970s scotland

The film explores how identity is performed, observed, and later confronted. The central deception, posing as a young student while being an adult, drives the narrative and invites viewers to question who we really are versus who we pretend to be.

• identity
• deception
• performance
• self-discovery
• belonging

As the truth emerges, media coverage turns the private school situation into a public spectacle. The film uses news clips and interviews to show how sensational reporting shapes public memory and judgment, while also questioning the ethics of storytelling.

• media
• journalism
• sensationalism
• public scrutiny
• ethics

The narrative includes a Black pupil who experiences racism and violence at school, juxtaposed with Brandon's complicated social status. This contrast highlights class and race dynamics within the school environment and frames resilience and solidarity against prejudice.

• racism
• discrimination
• school
• prejudice
• resilience
• solidarity

The film shows how memories, testimonies, and records collide as classmates and teachers recount events. The audience experiences uncertainty about what actually happened, as later revelations reinterpret earlier scenes and the sense of truth evolves with new details.

• memory
• truth
• recollection
• testimony
• unreliable narrator

Brandon MacKinnon is the central figure who disguises himself as a young pupil to re-enter school and pursue medicine. Portrayed as highly knowledgeable and charismatic, he is driven by a need to belong and to prove himself, though the film leaves his ultimate motivations ambiguous.

• brandon
• mackinnon
• character
• motivation
• identity
• medicine

The teachers at Bearsden Academy, including Miss MacKichan, Mrs Ogg, and Mrs Holmes, contribute to the classroom atmosphere and reflect the era's educational dynamics. They become unwitting participants in the deception and later witnesses to its unraveling.

• teachers
• school
• education
• miss mackichan
• mrs ogg
• holmes

The film highlights the strength of unexpected friendships that form during the protagonist's time at school. Through shared interests in music and theater, Brandon fosters camaraderie among classmates, and these relationships prove significant when the truth comes to light.

• friendship
• camaraderie
• peers
• bonding
• relationships

Yes, the film leaves the central figure's ultimate fate and motivations open to interpretation. This ambiguity reinforces the contemplative and enigmatic mood, inviting viewers to draw their own conclusions about Brandon's story.

• ending
• ambiguity
• conclusion
• interpretation
• resolution