Editor’s note: With movie theaters closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Micheal Compton’s reviews will focus on films available for streaming or on demand.

If something looks too good to be true, then it most likely is.

That’s the prevailing theme throughout “Bad Education,” a crime drama based on a true story from director Cory Finley. Working with a meaty script from Mike Makowsky, Finley follows up his directorial debut, “Thoroughbreds,” with a story that is just as engaging – featuring perhaps career work from Hugh Jackman and a superb supporting turn from Allison Janney.

Jackman plays Frank Tassone, a beloved superintendent for a school district in Roslyn, N.Y., who with the help of his administration has turned the district into one of the top financial institutions in the nation.

Frank is a well-groomed, charismatic leader with his top assistant, Pam Gluckin (Janney), there by his side to make sure the district’s reputation remains intact.

But all the success in the district doesn’t look as shiny with further examinations. The school budget is soaring, with a new multi- million-dollar skywalk about to be built while school roofs continue to leak.

When one student (Geraldine Viswanathan) begins to look into the spending for the skywalk for the school newspaper, she discovers a path of corruption that leads right to the school administrators.

The student’s discovery is just the tip of the iceberg for one of the largest public school embezzlement scandals in history.

“Bad Education” takes us on the journey, as we learn the district – and specifically Frank and Pam – was not what it seemed.

Makowsky was a middle school student in the district when this scandal broke, so he brings a personal touch to the screenplay – showing the intricacies of these people in a way only someone who was right in the middle of it could.

Much like he did in “Thoroughbreds,” Finley allows his cast to really settle into their characters – letting the performances drive the story.

And the cast takes that challenge to task. Viswanathan effectively provides the moral compass in “Bad Education,” while Ray Romano and Annaleigh Ashford also have memorable supporting roles.

Janney is superb as tough-as-nails Pam, a woman devoted to her family to a fault who was not afraid to flaunt her financial gains – which ultimately led to her downfall.

But Jackman truly stands out in “Bad Education” in a performance that simmers before coming to an explosive head in the final act. Jackman plays off his leading man persona to make Frank this easily likable guy who was able to talk his way through any situation, until his lies caught up with him.

You believe what Frank is selling because Jackman makes you believe. He’s charming in a way that is manipulative without seeming to be. It’s a tricky balance that Jackman navigates flawlessly, making “Bad Education” the kind of film you have to see to believe.

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney

Directed by: Cory Finley

Rating: TV-MA for language and some sexual situations

Playing at: Streaming on Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Now (also available for HBO subscribers)

Grade: A-