Eighth Grade (2018)

User Review

• 

  Barneyonmovies

  8 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: Being a young, impressionable teenager in the social media age is a terrifying and depressing prospect, and 'Eighth Grade,' broadcasts that brilliantly. It follows eighth-grader Kayla who's addicted to her phone and her bubbly YouTube persona which distracts her from her ultra-timid, lonely reality at school. The film does such a good job of juxtaposing the fun lifestyles she sees all around her with her own quiet thanks in part to the way it shows so much from her own perspective, but also because the central performance from Elsie Fisher perfectly shows every longing and fear the character has through mere expressions and body-language rather than explanatory dialogue. That makes for a depressing watch for the most part because there's little attachment to what life should really be about in this character's world, but sadly that seems to be the reality for so many young people trapped in the shallow social-media cycle.
  When the film does finally acknowledge the value of love and real human interaction in a conversion with her father though, it makes for a true punch in the gut emotionally. You'll have spent the whole film up to that point feeling sorry for the central character and longing for her to take a step back and forget about schematics that rule her life. When she does, it's a truly perfect moment that makes a film which could have felt lifeless feel whole and brilliant, and turns it into a real must-see.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It is a very depressing watch for the majority, and the strange, half-arsed attempts at off-kilter comedy and charm don't really work to alleviate that.
  
  VERDICT: A film that broadcasts the tragic reality of being young in the shallow social-media age, 'Eighth Grade,' brilliantly has little attachment to what really matters in life all until one gut-punch of a finale. Everyone should watch this, just don't expect it to be enjoyable for the most part.

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