Andrew Baron-Vartian
Bo Burnham soars in his writer/directorial debut of Eighth Grade. Burnham brings us an authentic and unapologetically truthful perspective of the social pressures of what an eighth grader might have to combat in this modern age. Cards on the table, I’m a sucker for coming-of-age tales, though I’ll be damned if I let this alter my perception. Without bias; every aspect of this small, delicate film is very well made. With each passing scene, Burnham displays how much he cares about the material. Though what impressed me most was his display of patience; in true indie style he gives each scene a full complete moment before progressing with the plot.
Yet with all this praise Eighth Grade is nothing without its star, Elsie Fisher, playing the role of Kayla. Fisher is a revelation! Mark my words, in a few years she will become this generation’s next leading lady. Finsher is so sincerely flawless that she outshines a terrific performance given by Josh Hamilton as Kayla’s father. Hats off to both Burnham and Fisher for delicately bringing us this beautiful performance.
Coming from a technical standpoint, I haven’t seen a film released in theaters all year that is so small in scale breathe such life. That’s truly the beauty of this film, it’s incredibly well constructed with such unrivaled unique spirit. Though it doesn’t alienate audiences; you don’t need to have been a kid like Kayla to understand her pain, embarrassments and frustrations. All you need is some resemblance of a heart and you’ll immediately fall for this film. Eighth Grade is a little film with big feelings, if you can find it near you I strongly recommend checking it out.
Writing: 10/10
Direction: 10/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Acting: 10/10
Editing: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Score/Soundtrack: 9/10
Production Design: 8/10
Casting: 10/10
Effects: 7/10
Overall Score: 8.9/10
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