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Eighth Grade

Country: united_states

Year: 2018

Running time: 93

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7014006/reference

Chris says: “I can’t overstate how terrific Elsie Fisher is as Kayla, an awkward, average fourteen-year-old who’s quirky enough to stand apart from any other similarly-aged protagonist you’ve seen before and also recognizable to an almost painfully universal degree. Delectably cringe-funny, this would be as discomforting as WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE if not for writer/director Bo Burnham’s humanism—his affection for the minutiae of this ultra-specific world (like the boy-athlete crush who nonetheless loves to make fart noises with his arm) is omnipresent, thankfully without nostalgia’s rose-colored lenses. 4.5 cats

“(Viewed at the 2018 Independent Film Festival of Boston.)”

 

Diane responds: “4.5 cats from me. Great use of music. Very tense. Seems too popular for Chlotrudis, but I’d give Fisher a nom.”

 

Brett responds: “As we enter fall festival season, up to this point I’m not sure I’ve seen a finer film yet this year. A winner on many levels, and I’m a little sad it’s not awards eligible.”

 

Thom says: “While I admit to being a large fan of the coming-of-age teen drama film genre this one didn’t warrant the rave reviews it received. It’s about Kayla (a memorable Elsie Fisher) a sullen teenager on the verge of going to high school. She lives with her dad who she treats like shit. She has few friends and is off-putting to those that try to befriend her. Her one source of creativity and hope are the inspirational blogs she posts on YouTube. She’s somewhat bullied and certainly I was sympathetic towards her but I simply didn’t find her very interesting.. The ensemble cast tries hard and there is a fine verisimilitude to the story, but compared to the vastly superior LADY BIRD it doesn’t cast the same warmth of spirit.”

 

Michael says: “This indie darling from 2018 features a top notch performance by Elsie Fisher, as the mega-awkward Kayla Day, about to graduate from middle school, and doing her best to improve herself and help others by recording little-viewed YouTube videos on such topics as “How to be confident!” While the film is tough to watch, in a cringe-inducing way, it’s not as harsh as Dawn Weiner’s travails in WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE. Kayla’s dorky dad is really as sweet as can be. Kudos to Josh Hamilton for a role light years from his creepy thug in TAKE ME TO THE RIVER. And Kayla’s optimistic attitude as she faces the onset of high school rings surprisingly true. 4 cats

 

 

Eighth Grade

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