Eighth Grade (film)
| Eighth Grade | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Bo Burnham |
| Written by | Bo Burnham |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Andrew Wehde |
| Edited by | Jennifer Lilly |
| Music by | Anna Meredith |
| Distributed by | A24 |
Release dates |
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Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $6.6 million[1] |
Eighth Grade is a 2018 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Bo Burnham, in his feature-film directorial debut. The plot follows an eighth-grader, played by Elsie Fisher, who struggles to finish her last week of classes before embarking for high school. The film premiered on January 19, 2018 as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition section of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.[2] It was released in the United States on July 13, 2018.[3] The film received acclaim from critics, with praise for Burnham's script and direction and Fisher's performance.
Plot
Kayla Day is an eighth-grader in her final week of middle school in White Plains, New York. She posts motivational videos on YouTube about confidence and self-image that get almost no views, while struggling at school to make friends, and winning the “Most Quiet” award from her classmates. Mark, her single father, struggles to connect with her and break her reliance on social media.
Kayla gets an invite to go to a pool party hosted by a classmate, Kennedy, who has invited her only because her mother forced her to. Kayla suffers an anxiety attack in the bathroom, but eventually goes outside to swim, where she meets Gabe, Kennedy’s cousin. Kayla later has an awkward encounter with her crush, Aiden, who suggests that she rejoin the group. She overcomes her fear and volunteers to sing karaoke.
Kayla overhears that Aiden broke up with his last girlfriend because she refused to send him nude photos. Kayla mentions to him in passing that she has a dirty photos folder on her phone, which piques his interest. He asks if she gives blowjobs, and she says yes, not knowing what it means. She later looks it up online and is disgusted.
Kayla attends a high school shadow program, where she meets Olivia, a nice high school senior who shows her around the school. Olivia gives Kayla her number and later invites her to hang out at the mall with some of Olivia’s friends. They have a good time, though Kayla spots Mark spying from afar and, embarrassed, tells him to leave. Olivia’s friend Riley gives Kayla a ride home late at night, and he initiates an awkward game of truth or dare where he asks about her sexual experience, takes off his shirt, and asks her to remove hers. She refuses and he angrily backs off, claiming he was just trying to help her get some experience with boys. Kayla breaks down at home and is comforted by her father. She makes a video announcing that she intends to stop making videos, as she feels unfit to give advice when she isn't even able to follow her own.
Kayla opens a time capsule she created for herself in sixth grade. She watches a video she made for herself, where her past self asks questions about Kayla’s friends and love life. She asks her dad to help her burn the time capsule and asks if she makes him sad. He says that she fills him with pride and he could never be sad about her, which relieves her.
At graduation, Kayla rebukes Kennedy for ignoring her thank-you letter and acting indifferent towards her despite Kayla’s attempts to be nice. She later hangs out at Gabe’s house and they have a fun time together. Kayla makes a new time capsule which she and her father bury in the back yard; she leaves a video message for her high-school self encouraging her to persevere through tough times.
Cast
- Elsie Fisher as Kayla Day
- Josh Hamilton as Mark Day, Kayla’s father
- Emily Robinson as Olivia, a high school student whom Kayla shadows
- Catherine Oliviere as Kennedy, a popular classmate of Kayla's
- Jake Ryan as Gabe, Kennedy’s cousin
- Luke Prael as Aiden, a popular classmate of Kayla's
- Daniel Zolghadri as Riley, one of Olivia’s friends
Reception
Box office
Eighth Grade opened at four theaters and made $252,284 in its first weekend. Its per-screen average of $63,071 is the best of 2018 thus far[update] (beating Isle of Dogs' record of $60,011).[4][5] It expanded to 33 theaters in its second weekend, grossing $824,173,[6] and then made $1.3 million from 518 theaters in its third weekend.[7]
Critical response
On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 156 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "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."[8] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[9]
Josiah Hughes from Exclaim! applauded the film when he said, "Working with relatively unknown actors and taking an unflinching approach to the harsh agony of teen insecurity, Bo Burnham's first film foray is a resounding success."[10]
References
- ^ "Eighth Grade (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (November 29, 2017). "Sundance Film Festival Unveils Full 2018 Features Lineup". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (March 3, 2018). "The Little Movie Studio That Could". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (March 25, 2018). "Wes Anderson's 'Isle of Dogs' Prances to Top Screen Average of 2018". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 15, 2018). "'Skyscraper' Up In Flames With $24M+ As 'Hotel Transylvania 3' Books $42M+ Weekend Voyage". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- ^ https://deadline.com/2018/07/mcqueen-blindspotting-box-office-results-eighth-grade-1202431444/
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 29, 2018). "'Mission' Accomplished: 'Fallout' $61M+ Opening Reps Record For Tom Cruise Franchise – Sunday". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ^ "Eighth Grade (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- ^ "Eighth Grade Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- ^ Hughes, Josiah (January 22, 2018). "SUNDANCE: Eighth Grade". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
