Sierra Burgess Is a Loser

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2018

28%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A teen rom-com where catfishing is treated as quirky instead of creepy, and audiences rightfully hated it.

5.7/10

58%

29%

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Sierra Burgess Is a Loser

movie

PG-13, 2018

28%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A teen rom-com where catfishing is treated as quirky instead of creepy, and audiences rightfully hated it.

5.7

58%

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5.7/10

58%

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Screenwise Verdict

This is the movie that made everyone realize not all Netflix teen rom-coms are created equal. After the success of To All The Boys I've Loved Before, Netflix tried to replicate the magic and instead gave us a protagonist who catfishes, manipulates, and kisses someone without consent—and we're supposed to root for her?

The film wants to be a body-positive story about an 'unconventional' girl finding love, but it completely fumbles by making her succeed through deception rather than authenticity. The non-consensual kiss scene is particularly egregious and has been widely criticized. Audiences hated it (29% on RT, 1.6/5 on Letterboxd), and for good reason.

If you're looking for teen rom-coms that actually model healthy behavior and have charm, skip this and watch To All The Boys, The Half of It, or Love, Simon instead. This one's a miss.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media says 13+, which tracks for content, but honestly this is questionable viewing for anyone because it normalizes genuinely harmful behavior. If your teen does watch it, you'll need to have some serious debriefing conversations about consent and catfishing.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The protagonist engages in catfishing, identity theft, and kisses someone without consent (while pretending to be someone else). These behaviors are framed as romantic mishaps rather than serious violations. The film attempts a redemption arc but the problematic actions undermine any positive messaging about self-acceptance.

Imaginative

A modern Cyrano de Bergerac spin with mistaken identity is mildly creative, but the execution is formulaic teen rom-com territory. Nothing particularly inventive in storytelling, visual style, or character development. It's a paint-by-numbers Netflix teen movie.

Safe

While there's no graphic violence, gore, or explicit content, the film normalizes catfishing, identity deception, and non-consensual kissing. These aren't presented with appropriate consequences and could model harmful behavior for teen viewers. Common Sense Media rates it 13+, but the ethical violations are concerning.

Enriching

Attempts to explore themes of self-acceptance and looking beyond appearances, but undercuts its own message by having the protagonist succeed through deception and manipulation. The 'loser' learns nothing meaningful, faces minimal consequences, and still gets a happy ending. Poor ethical modeling.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Could spark important conversations about online identity, consent, and the consequences of deception
Addresses body image and self-acceptance issues that teens face
Shannon Purser (Barb from Stranger Things) tries her best with a problematic script

⚠

What to Watch For

The protagonist catfishes someone for most of the movie and this is treated as romantic rather than predatory
A non-consensual kiss scene that's genuinely disturbing and played for laughs
Minimal consequences for lying, identity theft, and manipulation—terrible ethical modeling
The 29% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and 1.6/5 on Letterboxd tell you everything you need to know

Conversation Starters

"How would you feel if someone pretended to be someone else to talk to you online?"
"Why do you think the main character thought catfishing was okay? What should she have done instead?"
"That kissing scene—let's talk about consent and why that was absolutely not okay"
"The movie tries to make us feel bad for Sierra, but should we? When does being insecure stop being an excuse for bad behavior?"

Stills