GetPapa Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

gsmithersuf When I went into the theater to see this film, I had no idea I was about to re-experience a forgotten time when I was submerged in a world of fear and insecurity. Bo Burnham took a trip to my subconscious and came back with pages of material. While I never tried to offer people advice in YouTube videos as the main character does, I strongly relate to the character in the following ways:A fear of being labeled as quiet (anxious people just want to fit in). Highly agreeable to the point of ridiculousness.Writing out bullet points of how to improvesocially Attempting to say or do anything at parties while having crippling fearsWhile some of the feelings in the film are universal, it got all the specific fears of anxious kids down to a t. Something I have learned since the struggle of middle school is that some kids are genetically more sensitive than others, and this can translate to anxiety as a person gets older. If you have a child who notices and feels more than his or her peers like the girl in the film, research high sensitivity and see if they possibly have it. It can do wonders for self-esteem to reframe the past knowing they have a unique trait.

Thomas Drufke The coming of age genre can typically one of two ways. It's either a pile of steeming garbage like The 5th Wave and Allegiant, or it's a profound masterpiece like The Spectacular Now and The Way Way Back. There's typically no middle ground. Eighth Grade is thankfully one of the ladder, and is one of the best films of 2018. Director, Bo Burnham, who is a social media/YouTube star on his own, makes a film about a young girl in the last week of 8th grade as she navigates peer pressure, physical changes, and just about everything else that comes with being in junior high. It comes at a perfect time, when our world is so devoured and obsessed with social media and the opinions & approvals of others, especially our closest peers. Elsie Fisher plays Kayla, the socially awkward but undeniably charming protagonist, and she gives the perfect performance. She balances those two characteristics effortlessly well and brings a certain amount of relatability to Kayla that is truly hard to find in actors. There isn't much plot or unique arc that makes the film as mainstream most coming of age dramas, but it's one of those slice of life films that provides a distinct take on a pivotal time in someone's life.9.0/10

Ocean Girl I only gave this 3 stars because the girl who played Kayla is very talented. Boy was this movie boring. If this is really what 8th grade is like these days, I'm so glad I grew up in the early to mid 70s!

artmed Although it may "relate" to being a 13 yo (pick any time in the past thousand years), this is a totally dated yawn. Its a tough period of life, no doubt, but that in itself cannot recommend this film. (My three is high.) All I can attribute to the raves is the reviewers' own hella year. The clueless dad is interesting only in his omissions: single moms, teenagers' privacy, *any discipline whatsoever, and why he left his daughter's teeth so twisted into high school. Fail. Dads win custody so rarely IRL, in fact, that the omission of any Why is radically unrealistic. Craft loses to lack of content and time-limitedness by trying to be *quite so hip. This film is outdated by December. WHEN will phones be banned in schools? JEEEZus