Middle School Vibes for Bo Burnham's Directorial Debut 'Eighth Grade'

It was very hot in the Middle School auditorium. Someone's dinner farts were wafting in the air. The seats were uncomfortable and stiff. A group of people had already moved because a few seats had a mystery substance on them. The next group didn’t seem to mind.

Why were we all packed into a middle school auditorium in Hollywood? One which just had its A/C break 10 minutes before showtime? To see Bo Burnham’s directorial debut with A24, Eighth Grade. Everyone in attendance was a bit awkward and unsure of what was really going on. Were we really about to see a movie this way? Some lights didn’t even fully turn off. A subtle movement by anyone caused a violent screech to ring out. And the sound was hard to hear with the echo (or that may be attributed to how much laughter there was and all the times people made noises of secondhand embarrassment).

It was not the most traditional viewing experience, but it in a way worked perfectly for what the film is—a messy, odd, confusing mess of a time everyone must endure, but one which, like it or not, molds you into the person you become.

Eighth Grade is about the final weeks of Kayla’s eighth-grade year. Yes, it is cringy and awkward and uncomfortable, but it is arguably one of the most "current" films ever. It is one of the most honest and straightforward looks at the world we live in, and more importantly, the world children are growing up in. School shooting practices, premature sexuality, and absence of connection to anything or anyone real. What Kayla struggles with is not something that should seem distant to an adult or foreign to someone not growing or just living in the contemporary world. Now is a time, more than ever, that I find myself questioning who people are anymore. Who am I anymore? Self-identity is nothing new in cinema. Most recently A24 has explored this in an in-depth level. Look no further than last year's Oscar-snubbed film Lady Bird, or the almost snubbed best picture Moonlight. These films, along with Eighth Grade, deal with the protagonist's identity, exploring and going on a journey of self-discovery. Eighth Grade is one of those journeys we all must take, and the film depicts this in the most genuine and real manner.

Eighth Grade deals with this in a way that is both fresh and intriguing. Both times that Kayla has a breakthrough with her confidence and self-worth is with the aid of a boy or man, an interesting choice for sure, but one I feel is deliberate. The first time is Aiden, the relatable crush, relatable in the sense that we all had a crush on someone we didn’t understand and ran the risk of changing ourselves for them in the worst way. This first time seems false like it shouldn’t come from this character, and that’s because it shouldn’t. This first confidence booster gets Kayla in trouble and in danger of being victimized. This plays out in a powerful and eerie scene in the back of a car that is both acted and written to a near-perfect result. Kayla gets a sense of new self when she talks with her father while burning her "hopes and dreams." We get yet another amazing father's word of encouragement, a growing trend in cinema as of late. I could hear sniffles around me as Kayla’s father tells her she wouldn’t be afraid if she could just see herself the way he sees her.

After this moment, with her father we see her graduate and take the next step to escaping middle school. She manages to tell off a girl that fits the stereotype of modern middle school girl. Don’t worry, these girls are real, and yes, they are like that. Kayla even goes and hangs out with the first boy in what could maybe be described as a first date. They share chicken nuggets with the widest array of sauces I’ve ever seen, using lightsaber forks. Burnham holds nothing back. It goes as well… Actually, it goes pretty well.

As the film comes to a close and Kayla leaves a message to herself four years in the future, we see how different her message changes from the one she left after sixth grade. She talks about what she deserves and loving herself and being confident.

Eighth Grade is a sharp, concise, brilliant film that feels so important and relevant to today's society. It has a level of detail and meaning in it that leaves me eager to see what Bo Burnham could possibly come up to work on next.