Review of Eighth Grade (2018) by Dawdlingpoet — 20 Nov 2021

I really liked this film - its simplistic but in a good way. I felt I could relate to the main character and I liked how it seemed to be a case of her putting out an online identity, being this teenager who seems to be laidback and knowledgeable, when really she's clearly somewhat anxious and unsure and concerned about the basic issues (physical appearance, popularity, other peer pressures of young teenage-dom) most have to deal with at that age. This is very much a film focussing on modern technology and, more specifically, the social media age, with the main character being a vlogger. It felt very authentic to me, although I admit its been a while since I was in my awkward teens (being currently in my awkward thirty's instead(!)). I'd say its partly about self image and also self belief. There are quite a few scenes which include awkward silences, which is something I could relate to - I suppose for people of different personalities (people who aren't introverted or socially anxious etc.), it may seem a bit slow or boring but as I say, I related to it and it seemed pretty genuine, so I appreciated that.

I guess it might sound a bit cheesy but I didn't think it seemed unnecessarily cliched or cheesy in a negative sense, with perhaps the exception of one scene towards the end but it hardly ruined the film for me. Overall its a well made coming of age film, which I'd happily recommend. Oh yeah and...Gucci! (if you've seen the film then you'll understand).