Try Harder!

Name: Try Harder!
Genre: Documentary
Released: December 3, 2021
Duration: 85 min
Rating: 75
Cast: Alvan Cai, Ian Wang, Rachael Schmidt, Richard Shapiro, Shealand Fairchild

2021

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Generally favorable reviews based on 4 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

Greenwich Entertainment | Release Date: December 3, 2021 | Not Rated

Starring: Alvan Cai, Ian Wang, Rachael Schmidt, Richard Shapiro, Shealand Fairchild, Sophia Wu

Summary: At Lowell High School, the top-ranked public high school in San Francisco, the seniors are stressed out. As they prepare for the emotionally draining college application process, students are keenly aware of the intense competition for the few open spots in their dream schools. They scrutinize how every element of their application, fromAt Lowell High School, the top-ranked public high school in San Francisco, the seniors are stressed out. As they prepare for the emotionally draining college application process, students are keenly aware of the intense competition for the few open spots in their dream schools. They scrutinize how every element of their application, from their classes to their extracurricular activities to their racial identities, might be read by admission officers. At Lowell—where cool kids are nerds, nearly everyone has an amazing talent, and the majority of the student body is Asian American—the things that usually make a person stand out can feel not good enough, even commonplace.… Expand

Director: Debbie Lum

Genre(s): Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 85 min

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Critic Reviews

The Playlist Asher Luberto

Jan 6, 2022

While Try Harder! is an important tribute to these kids and their work, it’s also a rebuke of college apps in general. Read full review

Beandrea July

Dec 2, 2021

Quiet yet assertive, Try Harder! itself succeeds at not trying too hard. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Nick Allen

Dec 3, 2021

Try Harder! is a charming dark comedy with a light touch, with part of its self-deprecating humor right there in the title. Read full review

Robert Abele

Dec 2, 2021

As snapshots go of bright kids facing the next step, Try Harder! is winning enough, but considering how much more there is to follow up on, here’s hoping it’s only part one. Read full review

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Brent_Marchant

Jan 27, 2022

When the pressure to perform is on, it can be a nerve-wracking experience, and that's the case for the high-achieving students at San Francisco's Lowell High School, the most prestigious public institution in the city and one of the most notable such schools in the country. That's especiallyWhen the pressure to perform is on, it can be a nerve-wracking experience, and that's the case for the high-achieving students at San Francisco's Lowell High School, the most prestigious public institution in the city and one of the most notable such schools in the country. That's especially true for seniors as they vie for acceptance into the nation's most elite universities, and, given the high school pedigrees that most of them will graduate with, one might believe that they would have their pick of colleges. As director Debbie Lum's second feature illustrates, though, that's far from guaranteed, a process that often leaves Lowell students bewildered, overwhelmed and in need (as the film's title suggests) of ever having to try harder. Lum's documentary examines this question from the viewpoint of six students as they struggle to make their dreams come true. However, in doing so, the narrative tends to get bogged down in the minutiae of the college admissions process, and, while that may indeed occupy much of the students' attention, that narrow focus leaves out much of the rest of the high school experience that comes from attending an institution like this. I found myself tiring of endless details about SAT scores, AP exams and how many colleges the students applied to with only passing references about the rest of their school days. To be sure, an experience like this seems as though it would provide ample fodder for an engaging film, but this particular offering could have used a broader view to make it more enlightening, inclusive and informative and less like a laundry list of dates, numbers and statistics. This is by no means an awful film, but, like so many of the students seeking admittance to elite schools, this one deserves to go on the waitlist.… Expand

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