Eighth Grade (2018) Review

Kayla Day is finishing eighth grade and we follow her final awkward week before she leaves to then start high school. She is socially introverted even though she believes that she is not actually that quiet.

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The coming of age story is a favourite when it comes to films and the main reason behind that has to be that everyone can relate to it. Whether you are currently going through those tough years and becoming a teenager or remembering how it felt. Something this film has made me even more pleased about is that when I was a teenager we did not have social media and smartphones! I seriously could not have coped with that at all.

Kayla is our main character and we follow her story as she struggles to fit in during Middle School and is about to finish eighth grade which means she is very close to starting high school. Struggling to fit in and not really having any friends she makes some bold statements and vows to be a better person for herself. Not always trying to please others but really working on how her life can be better. 

I felt as though it was a very current and relevant story around the social media generation, you know those poor youngsters who will never actually know anything before smart phones. I find that extremely sad in all honesty. Having to live through videos and photos, mainly for likes and comments. This is something Kayla does in terms of videos where she actually does sound super confident.

In reality she is very socially awkward and doesn’t really have any friends, which obviously watching makes you feel very sad. But also thinking is it actually harder for tweens and teens to have actual friends now when so much of it takes place on a screen? That could well be, I felt as though her high school friend was actually lovely, well up until that car scene which was so awful in terms of the tough situation.

Mark her father really did try his best throughout to communication with Kayla but she really didn’t want to know. Again some of those scenes made you feel awful, as he wasn’t doing anything bad or wrong he just wanted her to know she was loved by him and he was always there for her. Placing a lot on those awkward moments and the first glimpses into the sexual awakening as well, when she was totally obsessed Aiden, a boy who she had never really even spoken too. Again a very scary conversation then taking place between the pair.

I think this film could well be terrifying for parents to watch as they will be very aware of what is happening to their young-ish children and the modern dangers of social media. I felt as though Elise Fisher was outstanding in the leading role of Kayla going through those emotions and truly tough awkward times. It is the new coming of age drama for this young generation and it certainly makes me happy I went through this before smart phones!