Eighth Grade (2018)

Eighth Grade (2018) — a sharp, tender coming-of-age comedy-drama written and directed by Bo Burnham — follows 13-year-old Kayla as she navigates the last, painfully awkward week of middle school before high school. Kayla posts upbeat, motivational vlogs on YouTube where she pretends to have it all together, but in real life she’s anxious, quiet around her single father and classmates, and struggles to connect. The film uses Kayla’s online videos as a window into her inner life and balances cringe-worthy social missteps (a fraught pool party, an awkward run-in with her crush) with small, quiet acts of courage and self-discovery. Burnham’s realistic, empathetic direction captures the confusion, isolation, and awkward humor of early adolescence without condescension. What viewers will experience: a mix of secondhand embarrassment and deep empathy, frequent moments of uncomfortable laughter, and an honest, sometimes painful nostalgia for teenage insecurity. The film feels intimate and authentic, leaving audiences moved and quietly hopeful by Kayla’s incremental growth.

Actors: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson

Director: Bo Burnham

Runtime: 93 min

Genres: Comedy, Drama

6.5 /10 85 /100 7.4 /10 7.5 /10