When a YouTube star, famous for his super-critical vlogs of deconstructed truth-telling goes undercover as an employee of a small-town pizza shop to tear down his next target, a collision of values and philosophical grounding ensues.
8 Slices boldly explores the fork-in-the-road moment we face as a culture saturated with endless opportunities online to achieve our dreams, find success, and rise to fame almost overnight. When the removed, distant relationship of a YouTuber and his millions of fans is contrasted starkly with the intimate, down-to-earth relationships found in a humble pizza shop, the audience is given the chance to wrestle with bigger questions that prove vital in today’s world.
Throughout the film, the choice is presented: are we building a great resume or a great eulogy? Have we become utterly consumed by the dominant narrative in our world of careerism, or do we still have the time and patience for true, deep character and authentic relationships? Why would you want to have dinner with a friend if a million fans are subscribing to your channel?
Nick Westfall (writer/director) creatively examines these relevant issues in an original and thought-provoking way. We are brought into an emotional relationship with these diverse and deep characters, and our fondness for each of them changes and grows throughout the whole movie, up to the last second. 8 Slices is a poignant, sharp and wonderfully creative story.
This rich yet simple tale is anchored by the owner of Petronies pizza shop, played with a full heart by Justin M. Smith. He brings in people who’ve faced hardship and shattered dreams and gives them much more than a job. This admirable boss gives them a fresh purpose and a new view of the world because he genuinely honors them as humans of great value.
8 Slices is a wonderfully directed and produced film and we want to support this project with our Dove Approval. We are giving it our 12+ Seal, but we also encourage parents to watch the film with your family. The conversations are important, and these characters give us a lot of intelligent, loving perspectives to discuss. Most fundamentally, how do we value people—different from ourselves—in this screen-obsessed culture, and find the real meaning of relationships and friendship. Are we after good, deep relationships? Or are we after fame and fortune? Are we interested in living lives of integrity, or are we living for our culture’s version of success?
