Eighth Grade has rave reviews, Oscar-buzz, and actual teens playing teens. It's a groundbreaking film that everyone needs to see. It also happens to have an R rating that stops parents in their tracks before they even think of bringing teens to see it.

Disclaimer before I start, I’m not a parent. I’m certainly not here to tell you how to parent your kid. They're your kids, you've gotta do what you need to do to raise them how you want. I’m just here to say that I recommend seeing Eighth Grade with your teen (or even preteen if they’re at a level where they can handle it).

Why?

It's no secret that I loved the movie. Eighth Grade touches on topics like anxiety, finding your place, and gaining self-confidence. What sets the film apart is it’s all through the POV of a thirteen-year-old girl. As adults, we can give advice to kids all day, but it’s different coming from someone close to them in age. I noticed this all the time with my past students. A teen recently free from junior high or a soon-to-be eighth grader could benefit from seeing Kayla's struggle and experience. If not for anything than for the film to tell them what you're experiencing is normal. You're going to be okay.

What should you be worried about as a parent considering bringing your teen or preteen to see Eighth Grade?

Only two things. Language, for one. There wasn’t a ton of swearing and what I did hear wasn’t anything I didn’t hear my students say. The F-word, P-word once or twice, and a few of your other typical swears. I think the use of the F-word maybe three or four times, if that, is what sent this one into the R category.

Two, sexual topics. There’s a scene where BJs are brought up in conversation and Kayla does very brief research about it. I know that's a deal breaker for some but, if it helps, there's nothing graphic and there's no pornography shown. It's such a fleeting moment of the movie that I legit almost forgot it happened.

Because it's about junior high, there's also a moment at the beginning where they're watching a sex ed video for about 20 seconds and one kid does something inappropriate.

Finally, Kayla faces an uncomfortable moment with a guy she just met. Nothing graphic happens, it's more uncomfortable and tense than anything. For many women and girls, this scene will be the most upsetting out of anything in the film because it's a situation rooted deep in reality. It definitely made me hold my breath for a moment.

That said, all scenes are situations teens and even preteens encounter. The message Eighth Grade sends about the first and last scenes mentioned are ones that every parent would agree with. It’s also a message that I believe is important for teens to see from a teen. It's okay to not be ready for that stuff yet. It's okay to say no.

Bottom Line

Parents hesitant about seeing Eighth Grade with their teen and preteens should first see it themselves then make the decision that works for their family. Like I said, you gotta do you. But I think it’s integral that parents see this movie because it’ll help them make sense of what’s going on with ‘kids these days’. I also think the R-rating shouldn’t deter families with teens and preteens from watching this together. If, for no other reason, than because today's teens and preteens need to see Kayla’s journey to help themselves better manage their own.