Eighth Grade

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Eighth Grade is a simple movie. It tells the story of a young girl’s (kind of awkward) journey through adolescence. More specifically, the story weaves her through her last two weeks of eighth grade before she goes to high school. Writer-director Bo Burnham clearly understands the story he is trying to tell. The performances in this movie legitimately feel real. It helps there’s nobody in the film with a huge amount of star-power, especially because that can be distracting when it isn’t done well. That is why I don’t feel like I’m watching actors, so much I feel like I’m watching people. The awkward, cringe-y feeling you kind of get as you watch the film is also a legitimate plus as well. For most people (if not everyone), eighth grade was a cringe-y, awkward time in our lives. The closest comparison I feel that I can make with this movie is last year’s Lady Bird. Both are simple stories with simple goals. I also feel that I had similar reactions to both films. They were excellent movies that I don’t feel any real need or desire to see again in my life. Granted, I can’t say I would be opposed to just leaving it on if I came across on TV, or if I walked in a room and it was just playing. Praise should go to lead actress Elsie Fisher as Kayla. I believe this is her first feature film role. If so, I think there’s a chance she could genuinely have a bright career in her future. All in all, I enjoyed Eighth Grade well enough to recommend seeing it, and don’t really have a whole lot to say about the film on the whole. I watched it. I enjoyed it. I don’t have any major problems with it, but I’m also not planning on revisiting it any time soon.

8 / 10