Eighth Grade (2018)

An introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before leaving to start high school.

Director:

Bo Burnham

Writer:

Bo Burnham

Stars:

Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 53 wins & 75 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elsie Fisher	...	Kayla Day
Josh Hamilton	...	Mark Day
Emily Robinson	...	Olivia
Jake Ryan	...	Gabe
Daniel Zolghadri	...	Riley
Fred Hechinger	...	Trevor
Imani Lewis	...	Aniyah
Luke Prael	...	Aiden
Catherine Oliviere	...	Kennedy
Nora Mullins	...	Steph
Gerald W. Jones	...	Tyler
Missy Yager	...	Mrs. Graves
Shacha Temirov	...	Mason
Greg Crowe	...	Mr. McDaniel
Thomas John O'Reilly	...	Edmund

Storyline

In his feature film directorial debut, comedian Bo Burnham deftly encapsulates the awkwardness, angst, self-loathing and reinvention that a teenage girl goes through on the cusp of high school. Given that the 27-year-old stand-up comic achieved fame as a teenager himself through YouTube by riffing on his insecurities, he is uniquely capable as the film's writer and director to tell the story of Kayla, an anxious girl navigating the final days of her eighth grade year, despite creating a protagonist w female instead of male. Like Burnham did more than a decade ago, 13-year-old Kayla turns to YouTube to express herself, where she makes advice blogs in which she pretends to have it all together. In reality, Kayla is sullen and silent around her single father and her peers at school, carrying out most of her interactions with her classmates on Instagram and Twitter. Her YouTube videos are a clever narrative tool that provide insight into her inner hopes and dreams, much like an ...

---

Plot Keywords:

teenager | school | eighth grade | 13 year old girl | vlog | 

---

Taglines:

Based on the most awkward year of your life

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 August 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eighth Grade

Filming Locations:

White Plains, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$263,797, 15 July 2018, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$13,539,709, 4 October 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

A24, IAC Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the Jimmy Kimmel show director Bo Burnham reveals that after star Elsie Fisher finished filming for Eighth Grade she started her first year of high school, where she did not receive a part in her school play.

---

Goofs

In the mall scene where Kayla first walks in to meet Olivia, she walks past a number of mid-mall kiosks. One of them has a mirror and you can see the crew briefly reflected as she moves through the scene.

---

Quotes

Mark Day: If you could just see yourself the way I see you, the way you really are, then, I swear to god, you wouldn't be scared either.

---

Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: Eighth Grade (2018)

---

Soundtracks

Love on the Run
Written by Michael MacAllister, Julie Hardy & Michael Matosic (as Mike Matosic)
Performed by Clementine & The Galaxy (as Clementine and the Galaxy)
Courtesy of SONGs

User Reviews

I tried to enjoy this movie, but just couldn't.

I have two main problems with this movie.

One-the protagonist, Kayla, is a one-dimensional character. All she is is awkward. She has no other discernible personality traits whatsoever, which prevented me from becoming invested in her. And unfortunately, she is the only character you get to know.

Two-this is without a doubt one of the most uneventful movies I've ever seen. Kayla's life is boring; her personality is boring; thus, the evolution of her story is boring.

I appreciate that tastes vary, but in my opinion four stars is generous.