Eighth Grade
Bo Burnham in his directorial debut for A24 managed to somehow create a more unnerving and anxious movie than the Safdie’s have with either Good Time or Uncut Gems. I remember my first viewing sitting in the theater. When the movie starts with Kayla awkwardly talking to her webcam making a video for her YouTube channel, stumbling all over her words and not maintaining her breathing properly, I couldn’t help but smile a shit-eating smile. It was INSTANTLY charming and real. It took me back 8 or so years to that age and to people I knew just like Kayla, and knowing that Bo very intentionally wanted to start the movie by making his audience watch an unedited look into this young girls life no matter how uncomfortable it could be to watch for them. It demands you pay attention in a way that you don’t even realize you’ve become invested in her story until you’re in the deep end with her. And suddenly, you’re protective of Kayla. She’s your daughter, your sister, your best friend; she could easily be you. Kayla’s story is uncomfortable, real, heartwarming, and many more things that people of any age just need to see. I have yet to see a movie capture such relatability in a young person’s struggle since this one.