Eighth Grade: Perfectly Awkward

Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade is raw and realistic. The film is about, well, eighth grade, and follows the life of Kayla, an aspiring tween Youtuber. Eighth grade brilliantly dodges the clichés that can come with classic coming of age movies by giving the viewer doses of cringe-inducing, yet comedic moments that perfectly portray what it is actually like to be in middle school. Kayla is one of the most relatable characters I have seen in a movie in a while. She shows how depressing and anxious it can be to be in junior high, especially today with the large presence of social media and the internet. The movie brings up important issues revolving around consent, depression, and sexting.

After seeing this film, Bo Burnham, the director had a brief Q and A and answered questions the audience had about his movie. I was interested to hear about the inspiration behind the film and was surprised by his answers to several of the audience questions. The movie was in fact, inspired by his own childhood and own middle school experience. Although the main character is a girl, Burnham described how inspired and connected he felt to actor Elsie Fisher. “I see myself in her, and hope others can see themselves in her as well” Burnham stated. He also mentioned the importance of using real kids and teenagers in the film and having them collaborate on the project. It was their experiences with the issues that surfaced in the movie. When it comes down to it, Eighth Grade portrays tweens so well because the director worked so closely and found so much inspiration from the actors and extras in the film.

In the end, this movie is for anyone who has ever felt nervous or scared and is bound to make you laugh, cry, and cringe.