Anyone who says they loved eighth grade is lying. It’s the perfect storm. Bullies, hormones, rejection, fear, doubt, and self-loathing. Rinse, repeat. But what was hell on earth is cinema heaven. Enter stand-up comedian Bo Burnham. Eighth Grade is Burnham’s feature film debut, and he couldn’t have picked a time in our lives more rife with tension and conflict.
You could almost call Eighth Grade a horror movie. With a raw, unflinching aesthetic, we follow Kayla (Elsie Fisher) around in the summer of transition from eighth grade to high school. There is no overarching plot. Kayla is the plot. We watch with dread as she struggles to find her place in the world, remembering what it felt like to walk in her shoes. Eighth Grade received a staggering 98% on Rotten Tomatoes with multiple outlets awarding it a perfect score. But does the movie live up to the hype?
Join Jon and Tim as they discuss their eighth grade experiences, the Orson Wells opening that will give you chills, why Bo Burnham is better at directing than stand-up, Tim’s fly fishing adventures, the “Sail Away” song battle, how Eighth Grade stacks up to other coming-of-age movies, Jon’s latest TV obsession, top ten lists, the year in film so far, how smart phones changed a generation, and the power of unconditional love.
