eighth grade (bo burnham, 2018)

My only encounter with Bo Burnham prior to this was his stand-up special, What., about which I wrote, "There's a lot of talent here, and I can imagine Eighth Grade could be a good movie. But I've probably seen enough of his stand-up." Turns out Eighth Grade is a good movie, and since Burnham wrote and directed it, he deserves much praise. But the film wouldn't work without the great performance by Elsie Fisher as the lead, Kayla. Fisher, who in real life was finishing 8th grade just as filming started for Eighth Grade, gives a truly realistic performance, filled with the early-teens combination of confidence and social awkwardness. Eighth Grade has as many cringe-inducing moments as comedies like Curb Your Enthusiasm or The Comeback, but Fisher roots them in a characterization that is recognizable as both someone we might have known when we were 13, and as ourselves at that age. We always root for her, because there is no meanness in her behavior. Her dad is even more cringey, but always because he is trying too hard to be a good dad. He lacks meanness, as well.

In fact, Burnham does a fine job in general of avoiding meanness in Eighth Grade. The people who are the middle-school equivalent of "Heathers" aren't overt with their scorn, they are just absorbed with their mobile phones. And Burnham allows us to see how Kayla would want acceptance from those pseudo-Heathers, without condescension, even as we can see Kayla deserves better.

Kayla makes self-help YouTube videos that reminded me of Bob and Doug Mackenzie, amateurish, always with a theme. They help us understand Kayla (and Burnham himself got his start making YouTube videos). I find it interesting that Burnham appeals to me more when he is channeling a 13-year-old girl than when he is presenting "himself" in his stand-up. #595 on the They Shoot Pictures, Don't They list of the top 1000 films of the 21st century.