Eighth Grade

Plot:

A teenage girl named Kayla (Elsie Fischer) tries to survive her final week of eighth grade before moving on to high school. 

Pros:

•A24 you’ve done it again! I continue to be impressed with most of the movies they put out. 

•Very honest and realistic portrayal of what it’s like to be that age. Like I’m sure most of you, middle school was not a great time for me. You couldn’t pay me to go though that again. This movie nails the awkwardness, bad acne, the fact that kids that age can be such assholes, and so much more. There’s something’s here that I think everyone can relate to. 

•Strong performance by Elsie Fischer. She’ll definitely be one to watch in the future. 

•I loved the way they portrayed Kayla’s relationship with her dad (played brilliantly by Josh Hamilton). There’s a conversation they have at the end that’s so heartfelt and sweet that it had me tearing up. 

•Finally a movie where the teenage characters are played by actual teenagers and not people in their late 20s trying to pass as teenagers. 

Cons:

•Nothing that I can think of. I absolutely adored this movie. It’s one of my favorites this year. 

My Rating: 10/10