What makes Kayla and her struggles relatable? Painfully realistic, tenderly acted coming-of-age dramedy. Kayla (Fisher) still has a lot of growing to do and the point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ journey in this film at least reassures viewers that there’s a bright future for Kayla despite a lot of nerve-wracking speed bumps along the way. Severe. Starring Josh Hamilton, Daniel Zolghadri, Elsie Fisher, and Emily Robinson. I went to see Eighth Grade this afternoon with a friend of mine. Eighth Grade is its own lifelike, and awkward (in a good sense) story. Eighth Grade: Official Clip - I Get Nervous. There are moments of great darkness...Bo Burnham does a brilliant job of judging just how far to push any particular scene. You can’t call “Eighth Grade” a coming-of-age movie because the character in this film is 14-years-old and about to head into high school. You're almost there! As such, thereâ(TM)s no real arcs, no solid narrative, just like life. Don't have an account? He makes the kids repeat what they're supposed to do during a real school shooting. "Eighth Grade" is so grounded in the reality of middle school it almost operates like a horrible collective flashback. Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox. We were unable to submit your evaluation. Starring: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton. If so, how did it go? There's so much here for parents and their teens to unpack, from mean-girl behavior and too much/inappropriate screen use to the importance of being careful around older teens (particularly for girls) and saying no to unwanted sexual advances. Certificate: 15. |, February 28, 2021 Eighth Grade is very much in the moment. The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher. The movie is basically the perfect version of what it sets out to be, but did I personally like it? Searching for streaming and purchasing options ... Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Production: 0 Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive, diverse representations in books, TV shows, and movies. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. |, April 26, 2019 There's a wonderful "aha" moment when Kayla finds her voice, and the inner middle schooler in all of us will cheer for the shy girl who's willing to tell the truth to her peers: Don't front, it's OK to be grateful and kind and to have fun playing games with your family, and to not be in a rush to grow up before you're ready. Does strong language make a movie more or less relatable to you? Regal Please try again later. Eight Grade Score: 7.2/10: Several brands visible: MacBook, iPhone, LL Bean, Adidas, Steph Curry jersey, Instagram, Chevy Tahoe, Gatorade, Buzzfeed, Speedo, Vans, Coca-Cola/Diet Coke, Snapchat, Charlotte Russe, YouTube, Mountain Dew, Claire's, Hamilton calendar, Rick and Morty. (Unfortunately, eighth graders cannot see the film without a parent because of an R-rating for language, though that might stimulate a dialogue between parent and child). Stellar teen dramedy explores angst, experimentation. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. |. It is great to see a film about adolescence that feels like the real thing for a change and not just some silly, romanticized idea of it, which is even more remarkable when you consider that Bo Burnham is a grown-up man who clearly hasn't forgotten what it is like to be a teenager. Moderate. RATING: A+ Director: Bo Burnham What Bo Burnham created with his Directorial Debut, Eighth Grade, is one of the most realistic and authentic Coming of Age films there is. Eighth Grade: Official Clip - Do I Make You Sad? |, March 3, 2021 Eighth Grade: Official Clip - Can't Wait To Grow Up, Eighth Grade: Official Clip - Thought You Hated Bananas, Eighth Grade: Official Clip - Being Yourself, Eighth Grade: Official Clip - Szechuan Sauce, Eighth Grade: Official Clip - Telling off the Bullies, Eighth Grade: Official Clip - Truth or Dare Hell. The pain Kayla expresses is incredibly realistic, and it will squeeze adult audiences' hearts as they watch a young girl attempt to find her place in an unforgiving social environment. Find more movies that help kids build character. I saw Eighth Grade with my little brother who just graduated from eighth grade. 4. age 2+ As a fellow parent, don't listen to the R rating This is a brutally honest movie about the reality of being an eighth grader in today's world. Fisher is fabulous in writer-director Burnham's poignant, sensitive exploration of the challenges of early adolescence in the age of social media and constant phone use. All rights reserved. Coming Soon. Explicit peer pressure story for older teens. Title: Eighth Grade (2018) 7.4 /10. This movie is extremely accurate and it deeply resonated with me. |, April 28, 2019 This is what Bo Burnham tends to focus on in his directorial debut Eighth Grade, a wonderfully fresh and very honest depiction of growing up in the post-millenial era based on his own personal difficulties. Luckily the movie has a somewhat hopeful message, as Kayla recognizes that making a connection with her father and finding friendship are both possible, if not with the so-called popular kids she admires. But her social anxiety and earnest demeanor make it difficult for Kayla to relate to other teens, especially well-liked girls like Kennedy (Catherine Oliviere), or Aiden (Luke Prael), the boy Kayla is crushing on, who's apparently only interested in girls who've gone past second base. A review of 'Eighth Grade' as seen at The Electric Cinema during the Flatpack Film Festival 2019. I would normally never let my 5th grade daughter watch an R rated movie. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/eighth-grade |, March 17, 2021 We won't share this comment without your permission. |, December 10, 2020 89. 31. Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train, Best Netflix Shows and Series To Binge (March 2021), The 100 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (March 2021), 100 Best Movies on Amazon Prime To Watch (March 2021). Although she says relatively little at school (where she's literally voted the quietest girl in the class for the yearbook), Kayla does post short, topic-based videos on social media from the privacy of her bedroom, but not too many people watch them. Parent need to know that Eighth Grade is an extremely realistic, relatable indie dramedy directed by YouTube star Bo Burnham about going through adolescence. Promotes open communication between teens and parents, including through device-free dinners (in one scene, Kayla is on her phone for a whole meal, until her father asks her to take out her earbuds so they can talk), social media boundaries, and one-on-one sharing of what's going on at school and personally. Read critic reviews. Burnham directorial debut leaves us with a feeling that the comedian turned director has a promising career in the Film Industry. |, February 18, 2021 The real genius of Eighth Grade is its universality - an honesty and compassion that cut across generational boundaries. How does the movie promote communication between teens and parents? Coming Soon, Regal You’ve got to be in at least 11th grade if you want to buy a ticket to Eighth Grade. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. Personally, her goals are pretty universal: She wants more friends, in particular one Best Friend, and a possible romance. It's a crime that Elsie Fisher hasn't won every award possible for her work as the lead, and Josh Hamilton also deserves praise for his performance as Kayla's dad... Alfred Hitchcock allegedly claimed "drama is life with the dull bits cut out"; Eighth Grade instead makes the dull bits interesting. Eighth Grade is a 2018 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Bo Burnham. Burnham understands that middle school is the most awkward time in most kids' life and that the eighth grade in particular is a fragile transition year as young teens struggle with social status, puberty, and preparing for high school. Suggestive comments and conversations about hook-up culture, sharing nude photos, and "how far" Kayla has gone or is willing to go physically with a boy; she tells someone she's really good at oral sex. In front then behind the scenes of a Youtube video, we meet Kayla. Coming Soon. Is she courageous? Cinemark An unvarnished, pimples and all, look at adolescence and the anxiety that comes with it. Itâ(TM)s a movie that achieves exactly what itâ(TM)s supposed to be, and thatâ(TM)s a small slice-of-life piece of realism in this girlâ(TM)s life. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school -- the end of her thus far disastrous Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Suggest a diversity update. Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. It never really feels like a movie, itâ(TM)s just a year with this girl, and thatâ(TM)s it. ... an important movie that should be seen, thought about, and discussed, ideally with someone who's not your age. and the Terms and Policies, Eighth Grade reminds us of the familiar growing pains in that unbalanced time transitioning from middle school to high school. Thereâ(TM)s a lot in the movieâ(TM)s craft I really do admire. Eighth Grade - Film review by Jay Richardson. A coming-of-age film that stars an actual teenager. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. It is not sugar-coated. All Critics (314) Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Despite it's R rating, every single teenager should watch this movie, and so should their... Riveting documentary is bound to get kids talking. Eighth Grade review – brilliant coming-of-age debut Bo Burnham’s first feature film is a note-perfect tale of a shy teenager’s struggle with our internet-obsessed culture Eighth Grade is rated R, which makes it difficult for those currently experiencing that age to see it, but also renders the film more genuine and relatable when they do. Families can talk about whether Eighth Grade feels realistic. Middle-finger gestures. I can't elevate Eighth Grade to the status that my peers have, it just wasn't all that to me. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Golden Tomato Awards: Best Movies & TV of 2020. Elsie Fisher (the voice of Agnes in Despicable Me) stars as socially awkward eighth grader Kayla, a social media-savvy teen who's enduring the awkward transition between middle and high school. Kayla then researches oral sex on YouTube; video screen shots and brief glimpse of a sex toy are shown. It is a surprising film - and a wonderful one. Just confirm how you got your ticket. Share this Rating. Eighth Grade takes a look at its titular time period that offers a rare and resounding ring of truth while heralding breakthroughs for writer-director Bo Burnham and captivating star Elsie Fisher. While still a good film, this review leans more towards the other 2%. Also sex-related terms, including "blow job." Sign up here. The middle school goes through an active shooter drill in which an authority pretends to shoot the kids who didn't hide properly. Eighth Grade review – brilliant coming-of-age debut. Eighth Grade is, first and foremost, a charming coming of age comedy, that is never judgmental towards its lead character despite her adolescent mistakes; in fact, it’s far too wholesome to even be mentioned in the same breath as its closest narrative analogue, Todd Solondz’ dyspeptic 1995 film … [Full review in Spanish]. Use these free activities to help kids explore our planet, learn about global challenges, think of solutions, and take action. However I do still give it a lot of props for what itâ(TM)s doing, and I think it is an important movie. The biggest red flag here is the frequent strong language ("f--k," "s--t," "p---y," and more). EIGHTH GRADE is heading to UK cinemas on April 26 after a hugely successful run on the film festival circuit. What to Watch, Read, and Play While Your Kids Are Stuck Indoors, Common Sense Selections for family entertainment, Check out new Common Sense Selections for games, Teachers: Find the best edtech tools for your classroom with in-depth expert reviews, 5 Ways Video Games Can Help Kids with Special Needs, Which Side of History? | Top Critics (85) /. This frustrates Kayla's otherwise supportive father (Josh Hamilton), whom she alienates despite his wish to … As much as that sounds like the typical start to your average teen coming-of-age film, it’s not. See our. Coming Soon. A teen boy is thought to be masturbating in class during a sex ed video about puberty: His T-shirt is pulled over his head and knees, and noises and hand movements can be seen. Steering away from those usual plot points and tropes, writer-director Bo Burnham instead choses to focus on the story of a girl who doesn’t quite know how she fits into everything yet. She picks up a banana to, presumably, practice but is interrupted. Eighth Grade is narrated visually through the eyes of Kayla Day. Burnham brought audiences a film that felt as if you were actually relieving—but, needed to relive. How would you describe the relationship between the teen characters and their parents? Do you think strong language is or should be enough of a reason to restrict teens from seeing a movie about characters their age? By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy R means the movie includes contents where children under the age of 17 are restricted to watch the movie in theatres without parental or adult guidance. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. Cast: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson. To cope, she publishes video blogs as a self-styled motivational advice-giver, though spends much of her time obsessing over social media. Kayla knows she's considered one of the quietest girls in her class, and she's fine with that, because at home she records and uploads videos of herself talking about gaining more confidence, getting out of her comfort zone, and other self-help topics. Eighth Grade review: A simple story with the emotions of a cinematic epic Bo Burnham's directorial debut is led by an incredibly nuanced performance from … Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Eighth Grade is a sweet and touching film that presents the characters and situations as they are without judgment or evaluation. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. But some of her friends have seen this movie with their moms. Genres: Coming-of-Age, Drama. Add your ratingSee all 44 parent reviews. I'm sure that will date the film in a few years when Snapchat and Instagram either fall out of use or dramatically change appearance. If so, how? Eighth Grade's Bo Burnham Writing Songs For The Sesame Street Movie Movies | 10 06 2019 Tim Robbins, Lizzy Caplan And More Join Stephen King-Based Series Castle Rock Your privacy is important to us. © Common Sense Media. For anyone who knows people that age, or is that age, itâ(TM)s probably worth seeing for, if nothing else, a conversation piece. | Rating: 9/10 Sometimes characters will just drop out of the movie, but it doesnâ(TM)t feel like the movie forgot about them in a fault of writing, it just feels like the way that certain people sometimes are just no longer in your life and itâ(TM)s not really a big dramatic thing. Eighth Grade is rated R, which makes it difficult for those currently experiencing that age to see it, but also renders the film more genuine and relatable when they do. Thank you for your support. Are these relationships realistic or exaggerated for humor? Has your family ever tried a "device-free dinner"? Director: Bo Burnham. 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