Film
Eighth Grade (15)
Dir. Bo Burnham, US, 2018, 94 mins.
Cast. Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson.
With substantial buzz and critical acclaim following its Sundance premiere, this coming-of-age comedy-drama is hilarious and heartfelt. 13-year-old Kayla is a loner who channels her creativity and longing for friendship into her online persona, confidently dispensing advice via video blogs which nobody watches. As high school approaches, she embarks on a mission to turn her thus disastrous year around. Hilarious, touching, and embarrassingly true to life, this is a wonderful gem, powered by an incredibly sensitive and realistic performance from Elsie Fisher. It’s so grounded in the reality of being 13 that it almost operates like an uncomfortable yet nostalgic collective flashback – and reminds us we are all, ultimately, still terrified eighth graders at heart.
Cast. Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson.
With substantial buzz and critical acclaim following its Sundance premiere, this coming-of-age comedy-drama is hilarious and heartfelt. 13-year-old Kayla is a loner who channels her creativity and longing for friendship into her online persona, confidently dispensing advice via video blogs which nobody watches. As high school approaches, she embarks on a mission to turn her thus disastrous year around. Hilarious, touching, and embarrassingly true to life, this is a wonderful gem, powered by an incredibly sensitive and realistic performance from Elsie Fisher. It’s so grounded in the reality of being 13 that it almost operates like an uncomfortable yet nostalgic collective flashback – and reminds us we are all, ultimately, still terrified eighth graders at heart.
