You live in a strange world. Or at least, that’s what the generation before you thinks. Eight Grade is a movie that follows a girl going through her generation’s strange world. Social media, selfies, Youtube; you name it. But also, the weight of her expectations (as shaped by the internet) versus her reality. Written and directed by famous comedian Bo Burnham, it’s a gentle and often funny look at our anxieties and how they shape our growth. Prepare for a lot of cringes.
"In addition to its queasy verisimilitude, "Eighth Grade" offers acute observations on how social media and the language of self-care have warped teen life."
— Naomi Fry
Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school — the end of her thus far disastrous eighth grade year — before she begins high school.
Golden Globes
1 nomination
DGA
1 win
Spirit Awards
1 win, 3 nominations
Sundance
1 nomination
WGA
1 win
Nat. Board of Review
2 wins
NYFCC
1 win
I loved this movie, there was something so genuine about it. And it wasn’t just about looking back at the cringe of teenagerhood. It told a story about growth and when you need to draw the line and start living for yourself.
Also every scene showing a phone/computer screen is refreshingly accurate, which is nice.
Okay I watched this movie and I was absolutely horrified. I am a freshman in public highschool this year and this was the most inaccurate film I have ever seen. Nothing in the movie was true to public middle school. I feel like this movie was written by adults who think that this is what middle school is like “now-a-days”. I was certainly not in the popular kids crowd in middle school, and I didn’t have many friends, this movie still displayed a completely poor example of what the middle school years are like even for girls on the outskirts of social groups. I also feel really bad for the actress in this movie, the content was horrible but she has alot of talent!
I thought it was brilliant and completely captured the awkwardness of middle school. Maybe watch it in ten years. It was written and directed by Bo Burnham (I.e., not an old person).
I wasn’t born in the Unitated States and was very poor growing up, so I assumed this movie had nothing for me. I was so wrong. It’s a heart-warming, cringey, but somehow cute story that feels more like a love letter to a specific generation. It got a few laughs out of me and my girlfriend and even tears. A pleasant surprise.