8 Mile (2002)

8 Mile rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb7.2/10· 347K votes

Rotten Tomatoes76%

Metacritic77%

TMDb7.143/10· 8K votes

With 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.2/10 on IMDb and 77/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been positive.

About 8 Mile

For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance.

Cast of 8 Mile

• 

  Eminem

  as Jimmy

• 

  Kim Basinger

  as Stephanie

• 

  Mekhi Phifer

  as Future

• 

  Brittany Murphy

  as Alex

• 

  Evan Jones

  as Cheddar Bob

• 

  Omar Benson Miller

  as Sol George

• 

  De'Angelo Wilson

  as DJ IZ

• 

  Eugene Byrd

  as Wink

• 

  Taryn Manning

  as Janeane

• L

  Larry Hudson

  as Bouncer

• 

  Proof

  as Lil'Tic

• M

  Mike Bell

  as Shorty Mike

8 Mile facts

Budget

$41M

Box office

$242.9M

Our take on 8 Mile

Curtis Hanson's 2002 drama drops us into Detroit's rap scene, following Jimmy Smith Jr., a young man fighting daily to keep his dreams alive and find his own voice in a world where rhymes decide who gets respect. It's a music-driven story about grit, self-doubt and the fragile chance to prove yourself on stage. The gritty, working-class texture and raw performances give it real emotional weight beyond the battle-rap hook. It suits viewers who like underdog dramas grounded in a specific place and time, and anyone curious about hip-hop culture, more than those wanting a polished feel-good arc. Expect struggle first, triumph earned slowly.