Eighth Grade

       Eighth Grade is about the shy, inwardly eccentric Kayla Day: a girl who is almost out of the tunnel known as eighth grade. She can see the light, but as she looks back on her last year in middle school, she sees that she has become a girl who constantly has butterflies in her stomach, is severely socially awkward, and is also currently in a mid-pubescent stage. Kayla desperately wants to break out of her shell and this is evident by her obsession with social media and outward perceptions.
       This movie, in my opinion, is the most charming piece of cinema so far this year. They've been showing the trailer since spring and I have waited since then to see it and I have to say, it far surpassed my expectations. At once, its a slice of life movie and an examination of a world that has adapted to the harrowing culture of social media. Its also just about a young girl struggling to find her identity in a place where doing that has become a bit harder to do. It's relatable and it's extremely genuine. The movie does something that I don't think any movie has really done, but correct me if I'm wrong. It depicts social media as a character, one that interacts and establishes relationships with people. One of Kayla's hobbies is making youtube videos where she gives life advice that would be relevant to people her age. This includes tips such as: how to be confident, how to be yourself, etc. Her views range from 0 to 2 per video, but she doesn't seem occupied with garnering followers. She treats the camera as a friend, someone who she hopes will help her in her current awkward stage. It's someone she can talk to and not get nervous around. However, this friend deviates her from having a solid relationship with her loving father so its also bringing her down in a way. She craves genuine friendship and closeness, but because of her social anxiety, she is always pulled back from being the person she wants to be.
     Eighth Grade's genuine tone and careful treatment of its subjects provides the viewer with, not just a heartfelt coming of age story, but an opportunity to reflect on their own experiences in school whether it be eighth grade, sixth grade, or even senior year. Most of us had an awkward stage where we stumbled around in a limbo without characteristics. A number of us had a phase where we wanted to be just like the popular kids because, we too, wanted to fit in. Personally, my eighth grade was just like Kayla's. I was incredibly socially awkward to the point where people avoided talking to me. To see such an impactful part of my life be translated so accurately on the screen was enthralling for me and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. It's an experienced eye, but even though it uses the modern era of social media as a conduit, its themes will apply across all ages.
    The movie also has a trait that can be summarized by one word: cringe. This "cringe" quality is birthed out of the movie's desire to be relatable, but it never reaches the level of secondhand embarrassment. It restrains itself from being completely unwatchable because its not the type of cringe that will make you want to sink into your seat. The movie showcases a generation that has adopted social media culture as the norm and in order for the movie to succeed as an examination of this world, it must also look at the bad, or cringe, aspects.
      I loved this movie. It is so genuine and will no doubt charm those who have the pleasure of watching it. Elsie Fisher is a wonderful actress who deserves to be praised alongside the smart and talented writer and director Bo Burnham. He treats our lovely Kayla as an underdog. You'll be rooting for her every step of the way and towards the end, as she takes those first steps into confidence, you'll be cheering and applauding much like you would for Rocky when he finally won over his opponents. 9.9/10