‘Eighth Grade’ is one of the first great movies of 2018
Kayla Day is a baffling ball of hormones, anger and self-doubt.
The 13-year-old social-media addict could be the poster child for 2018 — a fact that’s both high praise for “Eighth Grade” and a terrifying indictment of our society’s future.
The indie coming-of-age comedy arrives in theaters Friday, and the return of engrossing, unpredictable films like this is a sure sign that summer, at least inside movie theaters, is coming to an end.
As portrayed by Elsie Fisher (“Despicable Me’s” Agnes), Kayla hosts a series of barely watched YouTube videos about “being yourself” and other aspirational topics that are as much pep talks for her as insight for others. She has no trouble talking to a webcam. Heck, she can’t stop talking to it. She even makes a video in which she talks about how much she likes talking. Yet, in her final week of middle school, Kayla is voted “most quiet” because no one really knows her. Motivational Post-it notes may cover her bathroom mirror, but the thought of making eye contact with another person terrifies her. Kayla’s lack of human interaction rears its pimply-faced head at the dinner table, where she lets her food get cold — “I like it cold” — because she’s too preoccupied with her earbuds and Instagram. Her frustrated single dad (a wonderfully confused Josh Hamilton) keeps foisting conversations on her only to be ignored or, eventually, screamed at in a burst of full-throated rage. On edge and befuddled, he sometimes comes across like a hostage walking on eggshells in the presence of his tormentor. At other times, he reacts to Kayla as though someone just dropped a demon in his lap and scurried away.
Hamilton’s performance, like Fisher’s, is subtle and altogether human in ways rarely associated with the words “teen comedy.” Even more surprising, “Eighth Grade” is the feature writing and directing debut of stand-up comedian Bo Burnham, whose act is far more structured and theatrical than his filmmaking. It’s also the second film in a month, following musician and activist Boots Riley’s “Sorry to Bother You,” to arrive fully formed — fantastic and wholly original — seemingly from nowhere. 
There’s a relatable realness to Fisher’s Kayla. It’s an extraordinary portrayal of a painfully ordinary teen, and it’s all but impossible not to cringe along with her. If you’ve never felt like the girl who shows up to a pool party in a horrid green one-piece, with a lame card game as a gift, only to want to be anywhere else in the world when you find yourself surrounded by girls with zero baby fat and tiny bikinis like you stumbled into a pubescent Playboy Mansion, raise your hand — and then slap yourself with it.
“Eighth Grade” is far from a female take on a Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood.” It offers up buckets of laughs to offset the awkwardness. Pool party guest Gabe (Jake Ryan) has such delightfully strong affectations, he could have been plucked from a Wes Anderson movie.
It’s a lovably shaggy ode to anyone who’s ever tried to fit in, failed miserably, and then brushed herself off and slouched back out there again.
It’s also one of the first great movies of 2018 and every bit as welcome after a long summer as this respite from 115-degree days.
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.