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'Eighth Grade' Review

Bo Burnham's Beautiful Debut

By Jayson NievesPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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If you appreciate the art of stand-up comedy, you've at least heard of Bo Burnham. His act contains him singing songs that he has written about a variety of topics relating to the entertainment industry, depression or anxiety told very comically and/or bittersweet. Bo's views on anxiety and popularity are all over his feature film debut, Eighth Grade. Bo Burnham has created the most realistic look at adolescent anxiety I've seen. I saw myself in Kayla and if you've ever been the odd one out in a party or get together, you'll feel the same thing. Elsie Fisher is a fantastic find and gets everything right when it comes to someone that tries to branch out but can't quite do it. The scenes that depict Kayla having a panic attack or trying to talk to people are very tense with pulsating score or cinematography with very shallow depth of field. You can't help but feel for her or even relate to her on levels that you may be embarrassed to admit. Anyone who has been in a public school for their eighth grade, you'll see yourself and/or people you once knew in at least one of the characters. It's a credit to Burnham that this film stays lively and comedic with scenes that never overstay their welcome, almost like this film is a compilation of memories. Everything in the film feels true to life and Bo Burnham expresses such complex emotions through his filmmaking, which works so well with Elsie Fisher's performance

The portrayal of middle school life is super realistic in the way kids these days communicate, text, or how they portray themselves on social media. The kids in this movie don't talk like adults or adults trying to talk like kids, the writing is painfully real and scenes with Kayla trying to speak up or speak to her crush are almost embarrassing in the best way. We stay with Kayla the entire film which is a joy because she's a sweet and relatable teenager with anxiety. Even when we are in an uncomfortable (or scary) situation with Kayla, I enjoy watching her and hearing what we have to say. The two aspects that make the movie are the phenomenal performances and screenwriting that have so much heart that it compliments everything else.

The directing feels very average until you think about certain sequences that uses camera work that feels hand in hand with the acting. Scenes such as the mall scene, the car scene, or the small scene in which Kayla is calling a new friend on her phone feel alive and they are marvels of screenwriting, directing and acting. The camerawork of the latter scene is almost dizzying as we follow her walking back and forth around her room. The dark lighting and performances in the car scene (which will be talked about for a while) makes it one of the scariest scenes of the year. I was tense for five straight minutes all due to the filmmaking and performances complimenting each other and creating something special.

I can't think of a flaw in this film or something that rubbed me the wrong way. This is a deeply real and lively movie that will expose you to someone that you'll either see yourself in or someone that you know. Although this feels like reality, Bo Burnham's comedy and bittersweet drama are all over this film which is hard to accomplish. In his debut film, Burnham accomplishes wonders and created a film that will be talked about in terms of the years best motion pictures. I loved this film and every awkward, anxiety filled moment

GRADE: 9/10

NOTE: The language is nothing worse than you hear in a PG-13 and much less vulgar than an actual 8th grade hallway. The sexual situations are a bit strong, but go nowhere. I highly suggest taking 13 year olds and up to see this film.

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About the Creator

Jayson Nieves

Film is my passion

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