Jessica Darling's It List

"Prepare to survive... Middle School"

2016 1h 20m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 137

Family

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Jessica Darling – a smart, witty, opinionated girl heading into 7th grade – was never too concerned about where she'd fit in the middle school hierarchy. But before her first day of school, her older sister — the super popular Bethany, now in college—decides to help out by giving her the “It List”—a cheat sheet on how to navigate the middle school maze and rise to the top of the popularity chain. The instructions appear simple enough to follow, but, like life, nothing is as easy as it seems.

“Prepare to survive... Middle School”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Alexis Garcia
cheerleader
Alexis mandingo
cheerleader
Ashley Liao
Manda
Abraham Benrubi
Mr. Pudel
Amanda LaCount
Ginger Student
Blair Fowler
Bethany Darling
Chloe East
Jessica Darling
Emma Rayne Lyle
Bridget

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ali Scher
Writers: Julie Sherman Wolfe
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 10 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ali Scher, shot by Damian Horan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Lord. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor R.J. Daniel Hanna shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Alexis Garcia and Alexis mandingo and Ashley Liao carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Prepare to survive... Middle School".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt5213744 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ali Scher directs. Damian Horan behind the camera. Michael Lord scores. R.J. Daniel Hanna cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 10 years ago.
3Directed by Ali Scher, shot by Damian Horan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Michael Lord. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor R.J. Daniel Hanna shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Alexis Garcia and Alexis mandingo and Ashley Liao carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Prepare to survive... Middle School".
8IMDB entry: tt5213744 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Damian Horan
Original score: Michael Lord
Editing: R.J. Daniel Hanna
Production design: Benjamin Ralston
Costume design: Dakota Keller
Runtime: 80 min · 1h 20m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Jessica Darling's It List (2016)

Also by

Ali Scher

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Reno2017-11-04
★ 8/10
Being oneself. Not to try to satisfy others! Come on! This is an underrated film for sure. There are lots of children's films that are totally unrealistic. Well, there's no excuse for this film as well. But the thing is it was not like those ones. I'm talking about the clichés. When a film talks about a kid and his/her school life, like to be famous, they tend to do anything to accomplish that. So in this, the girl has her own 'to do' list, that's where the story kicks off. Jessica is a below average girl when it comes to mix with the rest of the school. But she's good at studies and physically fit. Her new attempt to get along with everything like her best friend, Brie, is now a big task of her life. Following the footsteps of her older sister, becoming a cheerleader is the first obstacle. How she fares it and other developments in the tale comes in the latter parts. The film was like 80 minutes long. The storyline was very simple and familiar. But the scenes were slightly fresher. I mean when I thought there will be mean girls in it, it avoided that. Similarly, jealousy, rivalry, the film sidelined them with limits. And ended positively. That's why it was a short and beautiful film. The actors were so good. Emma Ryne looks like a kid version of Blake Lively. I hope they would have a bright future. But I definitely want a sequel. If possible, turn it into a television series. This was based on the novel series, so there are lots tell about Jessica Darling. 8/10

Production companies