Although Mission: Impossible - Fallout and Christopher Robin are at the top of the box office at the moment, another much smaller film sitting outside the top 10 has a lot of people talking about it, and that's Eighth Grade. Bo Burnham's directorial debut made a splash at Sundance earlier this year and now audiences are falling in love with this hilarious and heartfelt take on modern adolescence. But maybe you aren't convinced this is for you or you only pay to see blockbusters in theaters. Well, this Wednesday, you can see Eighth Grade for free thanks to A24.
This Wednesday, August 8, A24 is inviting moviegoers to experience the film and relive Eighth Grade with free screenings in all 50 states. Although the movie carries an R rating, no ratings will be enforced and these free screenings are for all ages, pushing the common belief that this film needs to be seen by kids who can understand and sympathize with the struggles Elsie Fisher's Kayla Day goes through. If you want to see Eighth Grade for free, first check out what theater in your state is participating in this promotion by consulting the list. Once you get to the theater, you just go to the box office to pick up your tickets. Naturally this is on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last.
The common refrain among the reviews for this film, which currently sits at a cool 98% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, is that kids and teens need to see it. Our own Mike Reyes argued as much, pointing out how beneficial this can be as a bonding experience for parents and their teens and one that sheds a light on the real challenges kids face. The film has an R rating, meaning that actual eighth graders can't currently see it without their parent's permission. But that R rating should not scare anyone away as this is about the tamest R-rated movie you'll see, and the reasons for the rating simply reflect the honesty with which the film portrays its subject matter. That's why A24 thinks that people should take their teens to see it and is giving them the opportunity to do so for free.
The film follows the introverted Kayla as she finishes her last week of middle school and tries to deal with all the struggles that time in a person's life entails as she tries to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. Eighth Grade tells a small, but insightful and relevant story that is an incredibly accurate portrayal of the awkwardness of adolescence as a kid transitions in to high school in the modern age. People with teenagers, people who want to remember what middle school was like and people who just want to see a good movie should see Eighth Grade, and this week you can do so for free.
Eighth Grade is in theaters now. Check out our premiere guide to see everything else hitting theaters in 2018.
