Eighth Grade (2018)

Review

93min

Genre:       Comedy, Drama

Director:    Bo Burnham

Cast:         Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Luke Prael…and more

Writers:     Bo Burnham

-Synopsis-

On the cusp of full teendom but struggling to get over the line, an outwardly shy and awkward solitary fourteen-year-old toils with the distinct 21st century struggles and timeless tribulations of early adolescence, as she heads towards the end of her eighth grade nightmare for the ‘promise’ of high-school—as stand-up comedian and actor Bo Burnham turns writer/director with a classic American coming-of-age tale.

We’ve probably by now all become accustomed to comedic crafters and performers cinematically spreading their dramatic wings and capturing the imagination of audiences, film festivals and awards circuits alike, led by superstars like Steve Carell and Melissa McCarthy, as well as filmmakers like Adam McKay—but rare is the occasion when a stand-up comic delivers a moving, relatable and perceptive human story for the big screen.

Now perhaps inspired by the success of the likes of Jordan Peele among others (maybe even Woody Allen), twenty-something American YouTube musician, poet and comedian turned successful stand-up comic Bo Burnham enters the fray. Transforming himself into a fully-fledged feature filmmaker with an utterly contemporary yet timeless coming-of-age story for a post-millennial generation, boasting humble comedic undertones but plenty of pure human heart.

Young Elsie Fisher stars as suburbanite ‘Kayla Day’, like so many of her generation splitting her time between the aspirational world of social media and the realities of fitting in amongst her peers, making YouTube advice videos for herself and anyone who’ll watch while navigating the minefield of school cliques and adolescent rituals, and dubbed the quiet awkward kid by those who barely know her. When the pressures of her well-meaning dad ‘Mark’ (Josh Hamilton) trying to connect to her combines with a bitter pre-emptive taste of high-school, and her cringeworthy attempts to grab the attention of her class crush ‘Aiden’ (Luke Prael) and the other cool kids—this smart and sensitive teen finds the strength to be herself and forge her own tricky path into young womanhood.

A staple of Hollywood and indie cinema with the advantage of always being relevant, the coming-of-age drama can take many forms, employ many tones, and be set in any context, often featuring some sort of hard edge when it comes to the American teenager. But with ‘Eighth Grade’ Burnham is uninterested in shock value or being provocative, instead weaving together an earnest, lightly comedic and often melancholy snapshot of the post-noughties teen that’s so contemporary, it proves simultaneously life-affirming and unsettling.

Burnham is dealing with prescient but timeless and universal themes here—magnified by the digital habits and obligations of the modern youngster—tackling the demons of anxiety, isolation and depression using a mix of whimsy, humour and genuine pathos, all within the prism of a person in the early throes of self-discovery and acceptance. But ‘Eighth Grade’ is surprisingly nuanced and restrained too, never feeling the need to sensationalise or descend into teen melodrama, remaining warm and optimistic while delivering a positive message of finding the courage to move forward through fear and apprehension towards self growth, whatever the consequence—letting all the quiet outsiders who fly under the radar know that school isn’t the be-all and end-all.

The film is by no means designed to be a critique of this latest generation or a judgement of youth, but for anyone old enough to be Kayla’s parent, or who grew up without the ubiquity of online technology, ‘Eighth Grade’ might prove unintentionally confronting. By crafting such an utterly contemporary teen drama, Burnham can’t help but deliver a glaring screen-lit reminder  of an electronically integrated yet socially disconnected generation, making us apprehensive towards an even more digitally indoctrinated future. Yet we are also reminded that the virtual online world of social media is not the real world . . . not yet anyway, and there’s still time to pull back—and lest we forget, smartphone addiction is hardly an affliction reserved only for the young.

With a relatively small speaking cast to support her, ‘Eighth Grade’ truly is the Elsie Fisher show, as the already experienced sixteen-year-old stakes her claim for stardom with a wonderfully authentic and naturalistic, pimples-and-all performance, with its share of poignancy and heartbreak but also hope—bringing to life a hugely sympathetic everygirl trying to conquer her anxiety and find the strength to be herself, and whose adorably expressive screen-lit face will capture your heart. But fear not, it will also tickle your funny bone, thanks largely to some gloriously cringeworthy moments of adults trying to relate to teens—particularly Josh Hamilton as the lovable well-meaning single-dad—as well as teens trying too hard to fit in.

Despite its heart, authenticity and many other qualities, ‘Eighth Grade’ is not quite the transcendental experience it’s been made out to be, nor does it really peer into our soul. It’s also ironically not a film really aimed at the generation it depicts, but more those who reflect upon it, likely proving too subtle, lacking in edge and not dynamic enough for many in a post-millennial generation to take in all it offers. Ultimately the film’s effect depends largely on what you take into it, your personal experiences, and its impact is tempered by how personally you relate to it.

Yet Burnham’s debut goes well beyond just another coming-of-age story, or tale of a struggling American teen, proving vibrant yet melancholy, self-reflective but optimistic, and full of heart. ‘Eighth Grade’ handles the sexual and emotional tribulations of adolescence with nuance and restraint, while expertly dealing with universal themes of anxiety and self-doubt, all within the prism of the most over-stimulated, entitled and overburdened generation to date—entertaining, touching hearts and lifting spirits along the way.

The Bottom Line…

A post-millennial, teen coming-of-age tale that’s utterly contemporary yet somehow timeless, authentic and full of heart, ‘Eight Grade’ aptly deals with universal themes and across generations while entertaining and delighting the audience, and letting them know they’re not alone—as Bo Burnham unearths a hugely empathetic young star and adds another impressive string to his artistic bow.

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