Eighth Grade (2018) User Reviews (505)

Hard Truths

[soundoflight · 8/10 · 21 July 2019]

I wasn't going to review this film until I read the other reviews. But the way a large number of people so negatively react to this film is a testament to how powerful it really is, and perhaps says more about the film than those reviews themselves ever could.

We live in a world that hates the truth. And "Eighth Grade" is pure truth. The most remarkable thing about the film is how it refrains from dramatizing how young people today grow up and interact, and instead tries to simply show things how they are. You can argue how successful they were in this attempt, but I think they got it pretty close. And some things about growing up are timeless. While the technology may have changed, all of the things Kayla did in the film, I also did at that age. I also came from a broken home and background of trauma, and I was also not popular. One review said that you had to be a loser to like this film, and maybe there is more than a nugget of truth there. The kid who was head of the class in Grade 8 might have a tough time relating.

The film does very little to explain all this to the viewer, and does not make any attempt to show why Kayla is how she is. This is fascinating because that is exactly how our society, and in particular teen society, works: it is blind to why people are how they are, and simply ruthlessly sorts them into categories such as attractive/popular and ugly/unpopular. It seems that people who are used to going along with this way of thinking are puzzled and unsettled by the film.

What "Eighth Grade" ultimately is, is a mirror. It simply reflects back to us what our world is. There is no editorialization. So when so many people are recoiling in horror from a mirror, what does that actually say?

Wish somebody told me how hard it is to watch this

[guguifels · 8/10 · 26 January 2021]

Don't get me wrong, the movie is amazing. It's just so damn embarrassing. Like I had to pause it several times because of the second hand embarrassment I was having. It feels sooooo real.

Spot on

[kdcrowley-28003 · 8/10 · 17 February 2021]

Painful. Poignant. Spot on. If you have an eighth grader, had an eighth grader or ever were an eighth grader, you will relate.

Flashback

[karentopping-40149 · 10/10 · 1 June 2021]

I'm 33 and this was a very hard film to watch. I didn't think I struggled at school but this brought back a lot of cringe. I felt everything she did.

Elsie was astounding in her role! Oscar winning actress in the making.

To the people calling it too cringeworthy or unrealistic

[lukaptrvski · 9/10 · 30 April 2019]

I understand, that there's a lot of close minded people of the older generation here that don't find this movie to be realistic cause it's different to when they were in Eighth Grade, but the world has changed. All you need to do is go online and find some random kid with 10 subscribers making YouTube videos to understand where the cringe of 'gucci' etc. comes from. I know people somewhat akin to the main character, and honestly, her inability to express herself is realistic. The dialogue as well, I walk through the halls of my high school, and just want to cringe to death at the way the younger kids speak, and I think it's great that it is being explored through this film, something a lot of people have and will never understand. Anyway I thought it was a good film, no one's going to read this but who cares, I wrote it in 5 minutes.

A lesson in 'fake it until you make it.'

[TxMike · 19 October 2018]

My wife and I watched this movie on DVD from our public library. We enjoyed it, and while watching it I gave thanks that my 5 were teenagers before the era of smartphones and social media.

This was written and directed by Bo Burnham, himself not far out of his teen years, and as he says in the DVD extra he was inspired by his own experiences as a teenager.

Most teenage angst movies are about high school, this one instead focuses on a 13-yr-old who is just finishing up 8th grade and anticipating high school. Elsie Fisher is just so authentic as the kid, Kayla Day. She is usually pretty quiet, rarely putting herself "out there", but she makes and posts what might be considered "self help" videos for fellow teens. The irony is that she rarely follows her own advice. But she is trying, and she does get to the point of realizing that sometimes you just have to "fake it until you make it."

Overall it is a good and entertaining take on growing up with some elements that are not often done in these kinds of movies. Also Josh Hamilton is good as the single dad, Mark Day, who tries really hard to establish meaningful communication with his daughter, and eventually it works.

Zits and All

[Cineanalyst · 7/10 · 30 January 2019]

"Eighth Grade" is easily one of the most realistic movies that I've seen about teenagers. Largely, this is due to its acne-faced protagonist being played by Elsie Fisher, who, unlike many of the twenty-to-thirty-somethings that have populated so many other teen movies and TV shows, is an actual teenager. Most of the rest of the cast also appear to be age appropriate and, indeed, real middle-school students and teachers were employed as extras. One result of this is that the movie is even able to include a birthday pool party that isn't highly sexualized--thanks to its cast not being perversely populated by full-grown adults in swimwear masquerading as children. And a later sexual encounter comes off as genuinely awkward and creepy, as opposed to the usual Hollywood fare of adults portraying rapey and slutty sex-crazed teens.

Such realism has its drawbacks, too, though, as the life of a normal eighth-grader isn't especially exciting to watch a movie about it. A lot of the narrative is merely Elsie Fischer's Kayla listening to music and with glowing face as she relentlessly texts and tours social media on her smart phone and laptop. Nevertheless, kudos to the filmmakers for not vainly trying to make photographing cell-phone and Internet use as supposedly exciting (a vomit-inducing, Emoji-filled scene from "Crazy Rich Asians" (2018) comes to mind as a recent example), and, in general, I appreciate the consistent tight camera focusing on the protagonist. As well, I cringed almost as much at Kayla and others' butchering of the English language with sentences that are little more than "like, but, um, like" as I did at her nervous social interactions. But, like, um, that's how many people--and not just kids--talk.

On the other hand, "Eighth Grade" does contain a somewhat traditional arc of the usual girl-meets-boy fluff, including the relatively dorky and non-sex-obsessed boy she's supposed to wind up with (although, to be fair, the movie rather needed him to prevent itself devolving into an indictment against teenage boys in general) and, since she's only a kid, her non-romantic relationship with her father serves most of this usual dramatic function. Anyways, even though Kayla's main interest is motivational speechifying via notes posted around her room and in her journal and YouTube advice videos, which are actually thinly-veiled pep talks to herself, that the kid, at least, has some passion for life makes her a compelling character--more so, at least, than some of her peers whom we only ever see as either zombies interchangeably staring at their phones or offering blank expressions as reactions to others, or they're the sex-crazed teenage boys. Most of all, though, Fisher is excellent, with her authentic mannerisms and nervous habits, and her Kayla's social anxiety, from shyness around her peers to embarrassment over her devoted father, is a spot-on representation of adolescence.

Much Needed Therapy

[michelleyoungx · 9/10 · 31 March 2021]

This film really gives you a glimpse into the lives of teenagers who are growing up in 2 different worlds at the same time. The digital world and the physical world. For kids today, the digital world is easier to navigate. And I think that is why they are so deeply attached to it.

If you want an action packed, drama filled movie, then this probably isn't for you. Kayla's story is not an extraordinary one, I believe its one shared by a great deal of young people, myself included. And that is exactly why I think this is an important and heart wrenching film, especially for those who can see themselves in her struggles. Would highly recommend.

If You Hated Middle School

[Eve_of_Destruction · 7/10 · 26 September 2021]

This is way too realistic if you hated middle school and were semi awkward. It was so hard to watch. I wanted to go back in time and tell myself not to act like her. And I don't think I was thaaat bad. My parents got separated right in the middle of 8th grade and it ruined my entire year. Ugh, I feel depressed now. However, it got much better in High School and then especially in College.

So if you are having a cruddy time it's only temporary. Even if everyone ignores you or hates you. You will probably never see these people again. And if you do, they aren't even the same. They change too and most of them don't even remember middle or high school. Some of them do stay horrible and you just have to feel sorry for them.

Life seems like forever until you graduate 12th grade but then it flies by. It's almost worth the misery you may have experienced. Lastly, you don't want your high point to be High School. That is more depressing than being a temporary loser.

Uncomfortably true to life

[youngcollind · 10/10 · 3 September 2021]

While the cringe genre usually brings to mind over the top characters like Michael Scott and Larry David breaking unwritten social rules and making grand buffoonish displays, it rarely cuts this close to home, making you cringe because of how easy it is to relate to. That feeling when there's a conversation around you and you don't know how to jump in. That feeling when you know your lack of confidence is holding you back but you don't have the confidence to do anything about it. While we may carry these feelings into our adult lives, it was the perfect combination of hormones and naiveté that made them hit like a ton of bricks in our formative years. This film is a deep dive into this awkward anxiety that feels oddly personal while being universally relatable. Elsie Fisher is fantastic to the point where you forget she's acting and not just living as the character. The script is equal measures sweet and funny when it's not just downright uncomfortable. Whether or not you grew up with social media (and thank God I didn't), this film will bring you back to your youth and make you appreciate that it's something you only have to go through once.

A pleasant surprise

[lucasespindola-91322 · 7/10 · 3 April 2021]

As most people, I got into this movie because of Bo. I wanted to see what a prolific comedian could do as a director. I expected a very Bo-Esq experience, but that's not what you will find. Sure, it is not a masterpiece but it also not a gimmick. It is a good movie, with a simple but involving story and a great grasp on what being a teen is about.

The acting suffices, as you mostly see teenagers being teenagers. The theme of fitting in is present throughout the movie and that's about it.

It is a simple movie that is not scared of showing some ugly truths of what is like being a teen. Not what I expect from Bo, but in a good way.

Gucci.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 8/10 · 3 May 2019]

Unlike so many of a similar vein, 'Eighth Grade (2018)' isn't about 'kids gone wild' or 'the corruption of a constantly online world'. Rather, it's simply about a good person trying to figure out what it means to be herself. It's both a tender reflection and an in-the-moment snapshot, one that's not fuelled by nostalgia so much as empathy. It's wonderfully authentic and, as such, is incredibly relatable. There's nothing flippant about the flick, either. It comments on the internet, and social-media in particular, without being dismissive of it, never reducing social-media to some sort of blanket 'evil'. It's more nuanced than that, understanding where the root of most problems come from, and wholly accepts the world as it is. It tells a small story with small stakes that sort of seem non-existent - that is, until you remember just how big everything seemed when you were a child. Social anxiety as antagonist is a difficult thing to pull off, yet this does it almost impeccably. It also features one of the best father-daughter relationships I've seen on screen, one which culminates in a truly beautiful fire-side scene. Overall, the piece is pacy, nontraditional and entertaining. It's really uplifting, too. In some ways, it sort of functions as one of its protagonist's self-help videos: no matter how old you are, it tells you that everything is going to be okay. It's delightful. 8/10

The perks of being a teenager.

[YbsuhA · 7/10 · 18 March 2021]

Eighth Grade got me thinking about how the teenagers live nowadays. I was nothing like showed in this movie, I was not that much on social media, I had friends, but I was only with them regarding school. Not so much otherwise. This is a good teen movie that shows the teen culture today.

I tried to name as many high school movies as I could remember when I watched this movie. I haven't seen that many high school movies, not even them on the list, but those I could remember was: Grease, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Mean Girls, Superbad, Booksmart, 21 Jump Street (half high school movie), American Pie, Not Another Teen Movie, and there's even one more movie Eight Grade is associated with: The Edge Of Seventeen. Except for the plot, both movies look alike. They're both teen dramedies about a teenager who's struggling with a hard life. Some of the scenes looks very much alike, but I won't spoil them.

Usually, I want to talk about the cast in the movie, but this movie contains almost no actors I had heard of before. This movie is still good. If I had wanted to make a teen movie, it would be something like this. The difference is that I would have changed some of the scenes, or add some new scenes to the movie. I love the beginning of the movie, but when the movie is over, I sat there expecting something else to happen. But teen movies doesn't actually have an end. They just end when it suits them to end.

This is still a good movie. It's not one of the best teen movies I've seen, and it could have been better in several ways. But after all, this is worth a watch.

Boring

[gunru-69236 · 1/10 · 9 August 2018]

My kids thought it was a comedy. It was terribly boring. Sheesh. Wasted 6 tickets.

physically painful

[yun19 · 8/10 · 3 November 2019]

I had to pause and give myself space at times from the intensity of the pity i felt. the secondhand embarrassment and cringe was bearable but the emotional turmoil kayla had to go through hurt me. the film is incredibly realistic, amazingly written with wonderful performances by all the actors and the ending was cathartic. the painful scenes really dragged out though and made me acutely aware of the torture that can be inflicted by the slow passing of time 7/10

So realistic!!

[kaylems10 · 8/10 · 8 January 2021]

This movie is a spot on depiction of what school is like in the modern-day. I laughed so many times because the cringey situations are just too real. I felt so much second hand embarrassment for this girl. Great movie with real dialogue.

Tame and dull

[alienf3tus · 29 July 2018]

Wow will this age terribly. With the forefront jokes being current slang and gestures, it just doesn't seem to have much of a shelf life. The jokes themselves were super tame and really cheap (which didn't seem to phase anyone in my theatre because everyone else seemed to be having a blast). The characters for the most part are cardboard, and glaringly obvious that this is a portrayal of what a comedian thinks being an eighth grade girl is like. This character doesn't seem to have much wrong with her life, meaning that the movie has no conflict, so the film as a whole seemed to drag. The plot line was incredibly eventless and dull. My eighth grade experience was so memorable because so much happened to me without any effort on my part. There was no bullying or psychological torment in this, a staple of being a modern eighth grader, in addition to little to no foul language on the kids' part. Why wasn't there constant swearing by the students? Thats all anyone does in eighth grade, and the film is rated R, so why was it played so safe? There is no excuse for this film to not be taken to the extreme. The film in its entirety just didn't feel relatable enough. I found Boyhood to be much more effective in this aspect since that's a coming-of-age drama that really didn't hold back.

Painful to watch

[johnmaull · 6/10 · 17 April 2018]

I saw this movie at the SFFILM festival. It had the potential to be a really good moving about the awkward years during our early teens (middle school) but unfortunately it was poorly written and there was little humor in the movie. As a result, it was 90 minutes of watching a teen in uncomfortable, awkward situations without the levity that this type of movie needs. I sat there waiting for it to be over.

I'm a 60 year old man...but now I remember

[shawlawoff · 10/10 · 23 October 2018]

I was introduced to Bo Burnham by my adult children who found his stand-up specials funny. I watched and found him extremely talented with an underlying sadness.

I expected this movie to be uproarious with an undercurrent of teenage angst. Instead, it was incredibly poignant and moving. In fact, it was so painful atbpkints I found it difficult to watch.

In the scene where she drops her cell phone due to excitement of being invited to the mall by an older friend, my eyes began to well up with tears.

It is one of the most realistic movies regarding youth that I have ever seen.

A painful watch but well worth it. Burnham has a big future ahead of him.

Eighth Grade

[questl-18592 · 7/10 · 26 August 2019]

Further proof that child actors can do wonderful things, Eighth Grade is the story of a young, social outcast that wants to fit as she finishes out her pre-high school life.

The performances are excellent, as is the directing by the first time director. Those two things combined provide an experience that is at times funny, awkward, creepy, anxious and very real.

Unfortunately there was just a disconnect between myself and the lead girl, which made it a very interesting watch but kept me from really investing emotionally in her journey.

Cringe-worthy, Honest and Deeply Empathetic

[Jared_Andrews · 9/10 · 7 August 2018]

'Eighth Grade' is a movie you'll be talking about for a long time. Bo Burnham, one of the O.G.'s of teen YouTube stardom, has given us an agonizingly rich and authentic look at what life is like for Kayla (Elsie Fisher), a shy 13-year-old girl in today's social media obsessed world. Burnham, directing his first feature, doesn't spare any detail and doesn't alter any truth.

This film is exceedingly honest. It doesn't depict Kayla's experiences the way we might think they should be for an eighth grader or the way we might want them to be-they're simply presented as they are. Pool parties are a source of unbearable discomfort. First sexual encounters are not always pleasant. Kids with exploding hormones and little impulse control randomly shout unfunny phrases at assemblies in the hopes of earning a laugh.

The storytelling has the feel of a nature documentary. We can almost hear the narrator describing Kayla's attempts to navigate her fascinating and frightening terrain. Playing the vulnerable character who's far from the top of the food chain, she's just trying to survive.

Kayla, like so many kids her age, is a shy girl pretending to be confident. She posts advice videos to YouTube on how to be yourself, something with which she still very much struggles. As she records one video, she slowly rolls her chair farther away from the camera, indicating a declining level of self-assurance. This mirrors her real-world peer interactions, in which she stammers and laughs halfway through sentences as she begins to doubt herself and shrink with embarrassment, not that the self-absorbed "listener" bothers to notice.

All the kids stare at their phones constantly. These modern mean girls barely bother to muster up the energy put others down with a passive-aggressive remark because that would involve speaking to another person. Instead, they inflict harm by neglecting to acknowledge an uncool kid's mere existence. As cruel as that sounds, these popular kids aren't presented as villains. This is simply their way of handling their own insecurities. There are no villains in eighth grade-they're all just kids trying to figure out their lives and trying to figure out themselves.

And the adults don't know how to handle any of this. Kayla's dad wants to connect with her, but is met with constant rejection. He smartly gives her space and only requests her attention to remind her how much he loves her. In one scene, Kayla asks if she makes him sad, and he fervently reassures her that she makes him profoundly happy. Like Kayla, he can't always find the right words, but he successfully expresses the feeling.

That scene is a microcosm of the entire film. Its dialogue isn't readily quotable or particularly memorable, and that's okay. What is actually said isn't as important as the meaning behind it.

Parents can keep this in mind when they have conversations with their own kids, possibly directly after watching this film. Many kids and parents will likely watch it together since it carries an "R" rating (it's ironic that a film that accurately reflects the lives of eighth graders is deemed too adult for them to watch on their own). And parents should watch this with their kids, so they can both understand each other a little bit better. They'll both be better for doing so.

6/10

[starcraftbw88 · 6/10 · 4 November 2018]

Cute movie, if not a little overrated, It's a nice coming-of-age story, but doesn't do anything too different from what movies have done in the past - and evoked little emotional investment from me. This was my main gripe really, the acting and characters were wonderful; but I found the story bland and forgettable, however relatable and believable. It's pretty average as far as the genre goes, but not something I'd give a second watch.

Honest

[Naoufel_Boucetta · 8/10 · 15 October 2020]

I knew Burnham as comedy writer and performer but not as a film director. A very realistic and honest presentation of adolescent transitions and its difficulties in our modern society. Extremely accurate.

Slow and forgettable.

[phildexter · 6/10 · 30 September 2018]

Not sure who this movie is for. It's based on the life of a 13/14 year old yet the movie is rated R. So if the film is intended to help anyone of the same age, they can't watch it. And anyone meeting the age restriction has already passed this stage of life. I was expecting it to be funnier than it was. It's a pretty accurate depiction of what a teenage girl is like, moody and rude. I blame the parent for part of this, as she seems to be in charge more than her father. When she's on her phone at the dinner table with he headphones in, giving her father attitude, it's the fault of the parent for not disciplining her, rather than let her walk all over him. So that annoyed me, other than that it's merely just a diary entery of most teenage girls. May be useful to those of the same age who can relate but again it's rated R, sooooooo

This movie is a Masterpiece for the American audience.

[dleymoor · 2/10 · 27 September 2018]

Who can relate to a young girls' drama, when there is no drama or arc. There was a time when growing up had a lot more to tell than, a complex emotional journey with a lot to tell.

The shallow sensitivity and the big "theme" that everyone wants to be special and different, is pictured a lot. The only thing that made the protagonist special is that she had a lot of problems without actually having a problem and maybe a broken iphone.

The reason I am writing this review is that I keep wondering, how this movie can be considered as a Masterpiece when the culture of this so-called new generation has no philosophic background and just float behind a screen on a 24-7 basis. As the years pass by, the American Cinema has less and less to offer, makes me wonder if humans over there have become empty shells.