Middle school is where you start to figure out who you are...or at the very least who you might be. That doesn't mean it's an easy road. It can be a tightrope...a minefield of endless self-torment. Just ask Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher), a teen entering the final week of eighth grade.
Voted "most quiet" by her classmates, Kayla has a YouTube channel where she hopes to reach people and help them through the hard knocks of the end of innocence. In reality, she may be trying to reach herself. Kayla keeps to herself, is put off by her dad's (Josh Hamilton) overbearing adoration for her, and doesn't know how to when to talk to the hot boy at school. She is her own worst enemy, and a best friend would be nice to have in her journey of self-discovery.
Bo Burnham's directorial debut, Eighth Grade, follows Kayla on her trek, taking the audience into the turbulent life of a girl battling the first true transformative period of her life. It's a fresh spin on a genre of film that can grow tired if the filmmaker doesn't have some new tricks.
The Good Stuff
*Realistic sounding and looking teens. There's nothing more annoying than 15 and 16 year old kids sounding like Harvard-tested scholars when they talk to each other. Kayla and her classmates have no idea what life has in store, and Burnham's script aides their anxiety-riddled manner of speaking. There are lots of "likes" used in sentences, and awkward pauses and gasps. Everyone doesn't have perfect skin and hair color. There's actually acne and it's not a gimmick. You believe these kids could live in the neighborhood down the street instead of strictly existing in Hollywood.
*The usage of social media devices and the effect on teenage life. Everywhere Kayla goes, the soundtrack of Instagram and Snapchat follows her. Whether it's finding out what the cool girl Olivia is wearing or what selfie the boy she desires is wearing, Kayla needs it or else she's lost. The film does a good job of showing us the dichotomy in imagery that teenagers define themselves by. The idea of crafting an identity on how many likes your pool picture gets against the real hardcore values of friendship and family.
*Fisher isn't a revelation, and that suits the film. If she tried too hard, Kayla wouldn't be a realistic teen and Burnham's film would feel forced and come off as petulant. The young actress just plays it straight and honest without hesitating to show the raw side of her emotions. When a rough encounter with a boy ends in predictable horror, Fisher doesn't overdo the fallout, yet allowing the sadness to realistically flow out of the screen. Her performance syncs up with the script and direction.
The Problematic Areas
*Pacing. For being a 93 minute film, Eighth Grade felt a bit long, which is a problem for such a short film. There are more than a handful of scenes that just linger too long without any reliable impact. You won't find me suggest a short film like this could actually be tighter, but it fits here. The film has more than a few slow patches that upset the pace.
*Predictable subplots. The problem when you have a realistic film where nothing huge happens is the story falls into certain traps and familiar cinematic comfort zones. We all know which boy Kayla is going to end up feeling comfortable with, which one will break her heart, and that a reconciliation is coming at home. The ball begins to roll down the road in a straight line instead of bouncing around.
*Certain characters fall into the stereotypical teen film types. The over-hyped and spoiled girl; the hot kid that all the girls want; the nerdy kid; the caring friend who sees the good in Kayla.
The Best Scene: A pool party that Kayla reluctantly attends is perfectly tense. I loved the way Burnham's camera just followed the protagonist around the house as if it was following her off a plank. Very well-done.
The Worst Scene: A forced climatic moment involving the coveted Olivia and a suddenly impassioned Kayla towards the end of the film.
Hit or miss: the soundtrack. There are moments of dramatically loud music for extra effect and other simpler tones that fit more with the film. Burnham didn't go with the quirky soundtrack with folk songs and alternative cupcakes, and the result is lukewarm.
The Verdict
Burnham's film gets the job done, delivering a fresh spin on the teenage angst genre. While it's not as earth-shattering as some other reviews have made it out to be, Eighth Grade could serve as a helpful tool for young teens who need someone to recognize their struggles with acceptance and image. I didn't leave the film incredibly moved and beside myself, nor do I feel the need to see it twice or scream about it on the highway. No one has it harder in life than a young girl stuck in the doldrums of peer pressure, and that is explored here in worthy ways. Fisher and Burnham get the job done in being thorough if unremarkable.
I won't sign this film up for any awards, but it's a satisfying film that carries a message worth hearing. I'll be interested in seeing where Burnham goes next.
