After other festival screenings, it was theatrically released in the United States by A24 on July 13, 2018. Its R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America inspired criticism, as the MPAA's decision would have blocked many eighth-grade viewers from seeing the film. In response, the distributors arranged free, unrated screenings across the U.S. Eighth Grade received acclaim from critics, with praise for Burnham's script and direction and Fisher's performance.