Spy High Review
Director: Jody McVeigh Schultz
Date Created: 2025-04-08 15:28
3.5
Spy High Review: Directed by Jody McVeigh Schultz and executive produced by Mark Wahlberg, this four-part docu-series, currently streaming on Prime Video, takes a deep dive into a jaw-dropping privacy scandal from an apparently run-of-the-mill American suburb.
The series chronicles the story of Blake Robbins, a 15-year-old student who sued his elite public school after discovering that he had been spied on through his school-issued laptop. What begins as a teenage boy facing accusations of drug dealing slowly becomes something much more serious: a disturbing tale of surveillance and blurring lines between protection and invasion. With each episode, it unpacks how one school district’s response opened a door to questions that resonate for every student, parent and educator today.
Spy High Review
I remember when I first saw the title of Prime Video’s Spy High and thought it was some school student trying to spy. But no, this is something completely different and very real. It addresses privacy, school rules, and how technology can be employed for frightening purposes.
It is really well-done piece because the story highlights how schools, which should be protecting students, can be overzealous. I kept thinking, “What if this occurred at my school or to someone I know?” It made me uncomfortable, and that’s what a documentary should do a good one, anyway — it should make us think.
I appreciated that the show told us both sides of the story. On one side is Blake and his family, who say they were hurt and betrayed. On the other side is the school, which says they were just trying to keep students safe. I didn’t get the impression as a viewer that the show was trying to make me choose sides. It allows you to decide what you want to believe.
One thing I didn’t find particularly amazing was the length. There are four episodes in the show, and I think it could have been told in three. There were parts of it that dragged a little, especially some of the background talk about other people who had similar issues. I’m not saying their stories aren’t relevant, but the emphasis got muddied. I hoped the show would remain more centred around Blake and what became of him.
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What struck me most, though, after I watched the documentary Spy High, was the larger message: how easily people can lose their privacy without even realising it. Today, a lot of us work with school or office laptops, phones and apps. But are we really safe? Who is watching us, and why? Those are the questions this series got me thinking about.
Overall, though, I believe the school erred. Spying on students through their laptop cameras without informing them? That’s just wrong. Even if the school had good reasons, there were better ways to protect students than by spying on them.
By the end of the docuseries Spy High 2025, I don’t feel like there’s a definitive “hero” or “villain.” I sometimes wondered if even Blake’s family was abusing me. At the end of the show, they file another lawsuit. It forced me to wonder—are they actually fighting for justice, or is it becoming this routine?
But one thing, in my view, remains clear: The school was wrong to surveil students. The teenagers already have pressure from school, exams, and growing up. The last thing they need is to be worried about someone watching them in secret.
I was also reminded of the importance of asking questions from this documentary. Something may be permitted but still wrong. And also, just because someone says they are protecting us doesn’t mean they always make the smartest decisions.
I do feel like the series missed a bit of an opportunity. What little advice or solutions it did offer weren’t particularly helpful. After seeing it, I personally wanted to ask — how do we make sure this doesn’t happen again? What are the rules now? What are the students and parents doing? The show asks a lot of interesting questions but gives few answers.
Summing Up
I would consider the Spy High series a serious piece that lends itself to some interesting thinking and is not a joke documentary. It’s not for fun or entertainment, but it’s far worth a watch for everyone — especially students, parents and even people working in the corporate world. It is eye-opening to the fact that hidden dangers in technology exist and how rules can be misapplied.
The docuseries Spy High is now streaming on Prime Video.
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