Cheats 2002

From kindergarten onward, Handsome Trevor Fehrman and Sammy Green Elden Henson lead a high-spirited but risky habit: they cheat on tests by pilfering keys, crib sheets, and quick hacks around rules. Their scheme starts off small but quickly grows into something bigger: a classroom-wide operation that preys on the trust of teachers and classmates alike. As the years pass, the duo finds a willing helper in Evan Rosengarten David Krumholtz, who does their homework for them in exchange for favors. The arrangement takes a troubling turn when Evan’s family becomes aware of the dynamic, and a family confrontation casts a shadow over their clever, if dangerous, hustle.

In middle school and into high school, Handsome and Sammy push their luck further. They recruit Victor Barone Matthew Lawrence and Jon Applebee Martin Starr to widen their network, securing a copy of the janitor’s master key and trading answers to earn money and favors from peers. This escalation draws the attention of Principal Stark Mary Tyler Moore, who publicly announces that the locks will be changed to combat the apparent epidemic of cheating. The group wants to prove they’re still in business, so they pursue bigger targets, including Teddy Blue Jewel Staite, offering a peek at a confidential file to keep their customers satisfied. The break-in strain tightens as Applebee hesitates to go along with the plan, risking exposure, but Handsome and Victor press ahead, and the team narrowly avoids capture when they manage to bluff their way out of a near-miss with the janitor.

The tension shifts to the physics classroom, where Mr. Harkin Morris Panych is about to deliver a crushingly difficult midterm. Handsome uses a manipulative ruse to gain access to the key while Victor copies answers, and Applebee’s cautious reluctance to fully join breaks the alignment of the crew. Victor pushes for a split, insisting that Applebee be kept out of the midterm, which creates a rift that lingers well into the present chaos. The trio briefly reconciles, but the strain remains beneath the surface. Sammy, meanwhile, begins to form a genuine bond with a bright, upstanding classmate named Julie Merkel Maggie Lawson, who tutors him and subtly nudges him toward “doing the right thing.” Handsome, however, pressures Sammy to stay in the game, and the old habits threaten to eclipse the potential for real change.

As the school year progresses, world history teacher Mrs. Herman Barbara Tyson, known for keeping meticulous records in her famous “grade book,” becomes a new obstacle to their operation. Julie, frustrated by the unfair edge cheaters receive, convinces the other girls to stop sharing notes with the boys. Sammy begins to pull away from the cheating circle, yet Handsome remains determined to keep the machine running. Victor grows restless and cruelly pushes back on Herman’s family, but Handsome persuades him to seek a different path and to recruit a new set of accomplices. Rather than relying on crib sheets, the six of them improvise a memorization technique—an obscene song that helps them remember the answers. Principal Stark is misled into thinking the group has turned a new leaf, and she chooses not to punish them—an uneasy calm settles over the campus as they navigate the delicate line between reform and relapse.

Toward the end of their senior year, Mrs. Herman uses her grade book as leverage to test the students’ resolve as they chase college admissions. This pressure drives Handsome and Victor to steal and destroy her grade book, threatening the entire class’s future. Stark receives an anonymous note that pins Victor as the culprit, and she counts on Sammy—now a trusted member of the student court—to confirm the accusation. Suspicion swirls around Applebee as Handsome and Victor speculate about who authored the letter, and they scramble to ensure their roles aren’t exposed in the ensuing video depositions. Handsome attempts to intimidate Julie, insinuating that the graduating class will see her as a traitor, but Applebee testifies against the pair when the situation spirals out of control. The tension peaks as Sammy, using a clever gamble, offers Victor a plea: retake world history in summer school to still earn a diploma.

Victor accepts Handsome’s offer of a plea bargain, and Sammy steps in as a double agent, maneuvering to help his friends while protecting himself. The weight of the students’ misdeeds comes to a head at graduation, where Handsome is unexpectedly recognized with an achievement award in physics, a moment that the crowd greets with a chorus of jeers and mockery. As the credits roll, the film hints at the tangled consequences these actions have bred: the anonymous letter’s origin, the complexity of Victor’s background, and the way adults within the school system may have their own hidden motives—leaving the door open for interpretation about trust, accountability, and the line between cleverness and cruelty.

Overall, the story tracks a dangerous, escalating cycle of cheating and deception that begins with small acts and gradually tests loyalties, friendships, and futures. It balances moments of humor with stark reminders that actions in adolescence can echo far beyond the classroom, shaping how characters see themselves and each other as they face the consequences of their choices. The characters—Handsome [Trevor Fehrman], Sammy Green [Elden Henson], Evan Rosengarten [David Krumholtz], Jon Applebee [Martin Starr], Victor Barone [Matthew Lawrence], Julie Merkel [Maggie Lawson], Mrs. Stark [Mary Tyler Moore], Mr. Harkin [Morris Panych], Teddy Blue [Jewel Staite], and Mrs. Herman [Barbara Tyson]—each leave a mark on a campus where honesty and shortcuts collide, and where the line between ambition and ethics is tested in increasingly sharp relief.