No one was quite sure what to think of “8 Mile” when we first heard that Eminem was hitting the silver screen in 2002. We knew we enjoyed his music. We knew that he was the hub of controversy for the time whenever he was on our television. And that was about it.

Luckily for all of us, the film was solid, and as it arrives on Netflix here in 2024, “Lose Yourself” is still the top tier ‘get hyped’ song as it was when it won the Oscar all the way back then.

In fact, Eminem hasn’t had a starring part in a movie since. And when you set the bar this high, you could see why he would just want to take the win and keep crushing his music.

Indeed, Marshall Mathers plays “Rabbit”, a hard working and gifted freestyler, who’s just trying to make it out of the trailer park where he lives with his mom (played by Kim Basinger, who already had her comeback and Oscar for LA Confidential). But while he’s got friends and a love interest (played by the late Brittany Murphy), he’s got enemies too, including “The Free World” a group of rival rappers led by Papa Doc (Anthony Mackie, yeah, Captain America Anthony Mackie).

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The movie hooks you in and doesn’t let go. Eminem does well, mainly because the writing never overextends him to the point where we don’t stop rooting for him. His challenges are real, and the setbacks are devastating. The movie makes me miss Brittany Murphy, and the closing scenes deliver some burns that Mackie still hasn’t recovered from even though Papa Doc (his real name is Clarence) is just one character in his great career.

Director, Curtis Hanson, keeps the film tight, and the only complaint might be the film’s abrupt ending, even though it’s as real as much of Eminem’s experiences are.

If you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely better than a lot of other options Netflix has got out there, and that “Lose Yourself” opening and chorus will never outwear it’s welcome.

8 Mile

Grade (2002): B+

Grade (2024): A-

What do you think of the film? Let me know in the comments below.

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