Eighth Grade

Starring: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, Jake Ryan, Daniel Zolghadri, Fred Heckinger, Imani Lewis, Deborah Unger
Directed by: Bo Burnham
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A quiet eighth grader (Elsie Fisher) tries to navigate the end of the school year as she contemplates transitioning to high school.

Review:

Tim: I really like Bo Burnham, so I was quite excited about Eighth Grade, his feature film directorial debut (he wrote the movie as well). Some great reviews convinced me this would be a movie well worth seeing. And, I have to say it is indeed a good movie. I wasn't swooning as much as most of the critics, but I do acknowledge this to be a solid movie and a competent debut for Burnham behind the camera. I'm still trying to explore why I didn't enjoy the movie more, but I admit it's worth seeing.

Most of what you hear about this movie is how Burnham captured the essence of what it was like to be an eighth grader. I give him a great deal of credit because he certainly did that. He captures both the heavy reliance on technology that today's early teenagers experience, but even more importantly, he captures the emotional fragility of this period. In some ways, the movie was hard to watch because it certainly puts you back in that time period- when your desire for freedom and respect far outpaced your experience and wisdom. It was a time when it felt like the whole world was opening up to you, but other people could make your world feel small and futile. All these emotions are on display here.

I'm somewhat troubled by why I didn't adore the film like nearly every other critic. I certainly enjoyed the film, but I never loved it. I liked Elsie Fisher as Kayla and I wanted her to be okay (that's the single strongest emotion I felt), but I didn't find her as endearing as I would have liked. Sure, there is a protective feeling we get about her, but I didn't have a deep emotional connection with her, or any of the characters. I know people raved about how authentic and genuine the movie was. Maybe that was part of the problem? A lot of people at this age aren't very remarkable, aren't worthy of following for an hour and a half. I can't say any of the characters really struck a chord with me. Josh Hamilton as Kayla's single dad has a few beautiful moments but it also feels like he gives a forced performance at other times. The supporting cast might have been believable and authentic, but they weren't especially memorable.

I suppose that might be why I only liked this movie instead of loving it. As much as it was entertaining and you wanted to see what happened next, I don't think I loved a single moment of the film. I didn't laugh all that much (which is surprising because Burnham is a great comic). I didn't experience many highs or a sense of delight. I mostly experienced a dull sense of dread and awkwardness. Sure, that is what it's like to be in eighth grade, but I can't claim it was a very fulfilling or enjoyable experience as a movie. I'm so glad I watched Eighth Grade and I marvel that Burnham was able to bottle up the experience of being alive at this age. The problem is that it isn't all that fun to watch. I wouldn't feel enthusiastic about watching this movie again.

So, in conclusion, I'm a bit torn about this movie. I certainly liked the film- it's a surprisingly well made movie for such a young and (relatively) inexperienced writer/director. I think Burnham could have a very bright future behind the camera in front of him, if he so chooses. I'd recommend this movie and based on the 99% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, I'm sure most people will love the film. I only liked it. That's not necessarily a bad thing- I'd agree with all the critics that this is a good movie, it's simply not close to being a great one.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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