The Mortification of Being Thirteen Thrives in Bo Burnham's EIGHTH GRADE

Rating:  📱📱📱📱

Trailer

In an age where technology and social media invades every nook and cranny of our society, where school shooting drills are a norm and you’re able to google “how to give a blowjob”, it’s difficult not to wonder what growing up for kids is like these days. Eighth Grade gives us old people a rare and compassionate glimpse into the reality of Generation Z.

The film follows Kayla Day, a socially awkward teenage girl dubbed “Most Quiet” by her class, as she tries to survive her last week of middle school. Kayla is the shy, self-conscious, 13-year-old that all of us were at some point. She’s got acne she tries to cover with makeup, she rehearses conversations she hopes to have with boys in the privacy of her bedroom, and above all she yearns to feel ‘cool’. And like most kids her age she finds escape via her phone. While making a small presence on hotspots like Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr, Kayla also makes YouTube videos on subjects such as “How to be yourself” or “How to put yourself out there,” all things that she herself struggles to do in real life.

In his directorial debut comedian Bo Burnham does what so many adult filmmakers fail to do when making a coming of age film: he genuinely respects the kids. He doesn’t condescend or ridicule the struggles faced by Gen Z, but rather showcases how hard they really have it. Through humor and admiration, Burnham impeccably captures a raw and honest portrait of adolescence in the digital age.

Eighth Grade is a film that you didn’t know you needed in your life. And although you may just die of secondhand embarrassment while watching, this movie’s heartwarming protagonist and gentle story will ultimately leave you in comfort as you realize that in a rapidly progressing world, we have one constant: that specific, marrow-deep mortification that comes with being 13 years old.