There were a couple reasons why I wanted to see Eighth Grade. For starters, I'm a fan of the coming of age genre. There's something about a character growing through normal and modern circumstances that I find fascinating to watch. Some of my favorites in the past few years are Lady Bird, Boyhood, and The Way Way Back, which is one of my favorite films of the decade. The other reason why I wanted to see this film is Bo Burnham. Bo Burnham is one of my favorite stand up comedians. He's very funny, and his writing has always been incredibly smart. I've been curious what else he would do after his Make Happy special. Well, now he has written and directed this movie right here, and I must say, Eighth Grade is a strong debut for Mr. Burnham, for it's one of the best films the year has to offer so far.
Eighth Grade follows a young girl named Kayla (Elsie Fischer). Kayla is in the last two weeks of her eighth grade year, and all she has to do is survive. She's shy, introverted, awkward, and just wants the year to be over.
That's pretty much the whole story. It's very simple, and there aren't any dramatic shifts or twists. It's completely straightforward. However, it works thanks to Bo Burnham's writing. He has perfectly captured the dialogue, mindset, and awkwardness of eighth graders. It's some of the most realistic writing I have witnessed in a while, and this film is fantastic as a result. I felt like I was right there with the characters the entire time. This is one of the most genuine movies I've seen this year, and probably in the last few years as well.
The great writing makes the humor stick out as well. Eighth Grade is hilarious. It perfectly captures how weird eighth grade is, and I found the movie to be incredibly funny. It's comedy does not stem from jokes. The humor comes from the situations that happen throughout the film. And yes, those situations are as uncomfortable as it gets. Eighth Grade is technically a cringe comedy, but not in a shocking way. It's cringy because of how real it is. While some people will be put off by that fact, and I completely understand why, I found it to be very funny.
Some other important elements to aid in the film's realism were the performances and the characters. Each actor portrayed their character in a down to earth and believable fashion, and the movie was so endearing as a result. Elsie Fischer in particular stood out as the lead. She was perfect for the role, giving the perfect amount of awkwardness, teenage angst, and heart. Her performance is probably the first of the year that I can truly call Oscar worthy. All of the other actors were phenomenal as well, and they did a fantastic job making their characters as believable as possible. In my own life, I have met people that were the characters of Eighth Grade. It was so surreal to watch, but it made the movie all the more special.
There were a few technical aspects that genuinely surprised me, mainly the editing. The way this film is stitched together is so clever, giving scenes an extra amount of authenticity. The editing, somehow, managed to capture the mentality of eighth graders. The way audio is played over footage, the way footage overlays with each other, the way music plays into the cuts, and more all make Eighth Grade all the more special.
Besides the editing, the music was also great. The score was unique and quirky, using a lot of blaring synths. It's not something I've heard in a film, and hearing this kind of weird, abrasive music in an indie film is truly different, but it's great. Plus, the music has a character on its own. The way the score plays a role into the mind of Kayla helped add to her character. It's one of the most standout musical scores I've heard all year.
The only aspect of the film I found to be underwhelming was the camerawork. There were moments when what was shown looked amatuerish. The shot composition wasn't that interesting, and there were moments where how something was being filmed took me out of the movie. It's hard to explain without spoiling, but there were little things that the camera would do that made me wonder who was filming. I'm not saying it in a "I'm mad at this person for doing a poor job" way, but in a "there's a cameraman in this universe" way. When the film's cinematography isn't cohesive in a way that makes me forget I'm watching a movie the entire time, then that's a problem. Now don't get me wrong, the cinematography isn't bad, it's just very inconsistent.
That's my only complaint about this film. I absolutely loved Eighth Grade. It's funny, smart, well written, well performed, and uncomfortably awkward in the best way. But more importantly, it's real. I love it when a movie gives me something genuine. The passion seeped off the screen, and it was infectious. I can't say that I can recommend this movie to everyone. If eighth grade was a truly awful time, then I don't know if you should watch it. Some PTSD symptoms might hit. Who knows? However, for everyone else, I definitely suggest you check it out. Eighth Grade is one of the best movies of the year.
Final score: 9/10 (Amazing)
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