Review of Eighth Grade (2018) by Chris O — 20 Aug 2018

A relatable, truth-bearing piece that not even the age it's based around will fully comprehend.

Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school--the end of her thus far disastrous eighth grade year before she begins high school.

After getting to see this, I'm glad that A24 has continued their streak of great, well-made films. "Eighth Grade", other than making me realize I don't know how to spell 'Eighth', did so many great things, along with a couple of iffy things. But overall, this film was really good.

One thing, which can be viewed as a positive for a most part and a negative at other parts, is the comedy. It's a real cringy comedy that reminds you of what 8th grade was like and that's really hard to do. It's hilarious and relatable but sometimes, SOMETIMES, it makes you want to hit yourself. I think that's the thing that really makes this film but also breaks this film in some ways. For the most part, the comedy was on point but sometimes, old jokes just got old.

Elsie Fisher is a that I had never heard of prior to this and her performance really made the film great. Bo Burnham and co. worked together with her to make a film that could resonate with its audience. It was convincing and captivating and that's due to so many different things. I hope that because of this, Elsie can find herself on an ascending road to a bright career. Her, along with Josh Hamilton, brought a great chemistry to the screen that was only complimented by the rest of the cast.

This film shows us the different scenarios and situations that 8th graders go through. Now maybe we can't relate to every situation, but the nerve, anxiety, and passion this film shows should be able to resonate with anyone in the audience. There's situations where our character is tested and we get to watch her grow significantly in just one week. This film is inspiring and it makes you think a lot about the things that ensued in your own childhood.

In the end, "Eighth Grade" was a great addition to A24's lineup and one of the many bright spots of the year.