Flashback To Middle School In An Actually Great Way With 'Eighth Grade'
- Starring Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton
- Rated R
- Comedy
- Run time: 1 hr, 33 min
- Directed by Bo Burnham
- In theaters (wide release) August 3, 2018
Of all the school years I'd want to relive least, eighth grade is definitely in the top three. And even though Eighth Grade manages to capture every awkward, previously uncharted and hesitant moment of being an early teen, it manages to make it incredibly wonderful. Nothing is sugarcoated. There's moments that cause everything from gasps and tears to cheering and laughter and it's all completely dead on.
Burnham's writing and directing makes this hour and a half flick one of the best movies of the year without question. Every choice is incredibly thoughtful and there is no 'fat' to trim from this movie. It all builds together to show the simplest, and often overlooked minutes of the middle school experience while still making it an enjoyable movie-going experience.
Kayla (Elsie Fisher) is the 'average girl' in the most realistic and charming of ways. She has her hobbies, an embarrassing dad (Josh Hamilton, a masterful choice in casting - playing the endearing dad to a teen girl), a crush on the popular guy and a mixed desire to fit in and also be herself. Her filming of YouTube videos throughout the movie allow for a sort of first-person perspective you can't always get in visual media and it's beautifully executed.
Eighth Grade joins the rankings of this year's Love, Simon for an incredibly real coming of age story that somehow manages to tell the tale in a previously unseen way. While this story is relatable, it never once seems tired. And coming at the perfect time to be a welcome break from the myriad of action movie explosions and superheroes doesn't hurt this amazing little film's cause either.