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Try Harder!

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For the record label, see Try Harder Records.
Try Harder!
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDebbie Lum
Produced by
  • Debbie Lum
  • Lou Nakasako
  • Nico Opper
Cinematography
  • Kathy Huang
  • Lou Nakasako
Edited by
  • Amy Ferraris
  • Andrew Gersh
Music byDiana Salier
Production
companies
Distributed byGreenwich Entertainment
Release dates
  • January 30, 2021 (2021-01-30) (Sundance)
  • December 3, 2021 (2021-12-03)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$32,432[1]

Try Harder! is a 2021 American documentary film, directed and produced by Debbie Lum. It follows students at Lowell High School as they apply and hope for admission to the college of their dreams.

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021. It was released on December 3, 2021, by Greenwich Entertainment.

Synopsis

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Students at Lowell High School apply and hope for admission to the college of their dreams.[2]

Release

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The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021.[3] It also screened at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival on June 2, 2021.[4][5] It also screened at AFI Docs in June 2021.[6] In August 2021, Greenwich Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film.[7] It was released on December 3, 2021.[8] The film also aired on Independent Lens on PBS on May 2, 2022.[9][10]

Reception

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Box office

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In its opening weekend, the film earned $27,815 from 5 theaters.[11]

Critical response

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Try Harder received positive reviews from film critics. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 75 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[12] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 38 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.60/10. The website's consensus reads: "Straightforward and disarmingly, charmingly sincere, Try Harder! follows college-bound students through their final year of high school"[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Try Harder! (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  2. ^ "Try Harder". ITVS. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  3. ^ Debruge, Peter (December 15, 2020). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright". Variety. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  4. ^ "Try Harder". Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  5. ^ "24th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Announces Official Selections". Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  6. ^ Saperstein, Pat (May 26, 2021). "AFI Docs Festival Slate Includes 'Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain'". Variety. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  7. ^ Carey, Matthew (August 19, 2021). "Greenwich Entertainment Acquires 'Try Harder!,' Grade A Doc On High School Kids Facing College App Pressure". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  8. ^ Kenigsberg, Ben (September 17, 2021). "New Fall Movies 2021: Here Are More Than 125 Coming Soon". The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  9. ^ Kiang, Jessica (January 30, 2021). "'Try Harder!' Review: Endearing, Alarming Doc on Senior-Year College-Application Hope and Heartbreak". Variety. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  10. ^ "Try Harder!". Independent Lens. PBS. May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  11. ^ "Domestic 2021 Weekend 49". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  12. ^ "Try Harder!". Metacritic.
  13. ^ "Try Harder (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
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