Eighth Grade (2018)

The critic calls the film a masterpiece for its realistic portrayal of social exclusion and refusal to follow typical teen rom-com tropes. It highlights the lead performance and the director's commitment to authenticity over star power.

The review describes the film as powerful, emotional, funny, smart and empowering, with universal appeal. It singles out the empathetic, authentic direction and Elsie Fisher's standout performance.

The review praises Bo Burnham's debut as an innovative and honest new kind of teen movie that gives voice to those navigating life online. It singles out Elsie Fisher's authentic, raw performance as Kayla for particular praise.

The critic praises Burnham's feature debut for its graceful empathy toward early teenage life in a hyper-connected world, singling out the naturalistic performances and perceptive humor that capture adolescent discomfort.

The critic hails it as a remarkable feature debut and spot-on portrait of Millennial angst, praising Burnham’s sociolinguist’s ear for 21st-century girl-speak and Fisher’s natural delivery of the dialogue. The film is noted for its aching honesty about middle-school self-doubt and social media without veering into simplistic territory.

The critic praises Burnham's sensitive, heartfelt debut for its non-judgmental portrait of a teenage girl's anxieties and social-media struggles. They single out Elsie Fisher's believable, endearing performance and the film's intimate, empathetic approach that laughs with rather than at the protagonist.

The critic finds the film more convincing than most teen movies thanks to its youthful cast, keen ear for dialogue, and relatable situations that capture the teenage experience. They single out Elsie Fisher's delightful, naturalistic lead performance as making it particularly endearing.

Elsie Fisher delivers a jaw-droppingly believable performance as the socially anxious Kayla in Bo Burnham’s debut. The film mines exquisite hilarity and empathy from the distortions of adolescent life and social media without comic exaggeration.

Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade is so simple and affecting it makes most other movies seem hoarse with exertion. It captures the overlooked period just before high school with pathos, sympathy and humour through a standout performance by Elsie Fisher.

The review lauds the film's gentle, naturalistic depiction of adolescent awkwardness and Elsie Fisher's standout, emotionally exposed performance. It notes some familiar tropes but commends Burnham's growing directorial confidence, authentic father-daughter moments, and the wisdom of keeping it real.

The review highlights the film's sharp observation of social media-influenced adolescence through a series of vignettes that form a focused portrait of youthful angst. It commends Elsie Fisher's authentic performance and Burnham's understanding of the teen milieu, though it questions broader audience appeal.

The critic finds the film overly nice and artificial, assembling Kayla from traits rather than giving her depth, complexity or inner life, while smothering the story in sentiment and stereotypes. Fisher’s performance is praised as the one element that renders the synthetic character plausible.

The critic calls it a sharp, sensitive and enormously affecting portrait of adolescent girlhood that feels like the work of someone who kept his eyes and ears wide open, with naturalistic teen dialogue and a remarkably empathetic approach. Fisher’s funny, watchful and utterly persuasive performance is singled out as giving precise form to universally recognizable emotions.

The critic notes the film's eerie, post-human take on teen life and social media, praising the authentic father-daughter relationship and its honest depiction of unconditional parental love amid a cruel digital landscape.

Bo Burnham’s directorial debut is a wonderfully naturalistic tale of the end of middle school with a standout turn from Elsie Fisher. The film offers an authentic, documentary-like portrayal of teenage social anxiety and the gap between online confidence and real-life awkwardness.

The critic praises the film's gentle, empathetic portrait of a shy teen navigating middle school and social media, highlighting Elsie Fisher's breakout performance as the standout element that makes the coming-of-age story feel authentic and broadly appealing.

The critic calls the film a haunting, anxiety-filled portrait of adolescence, singling out Elsie Fisher's raw, improvisational performance and the clever use of YouTube videos and buried time capsules as devices that capture modern teen disconnection and self-discovery.

Burnham's directorial debut uses empathy to portray the overwhelming social stakes of eighth grade for its awkward protagonist, highlighting a career-making performance from Elsie Fisher and realistic details of modern adolescence.

Pete Hammond calls it a perceptive and heartwarming coming-of-age story, singling out Elsie Fisher's star-making performance as heartbreakingly good and one of the best of the year. He notes Burnham's impressive debut captures the loneliness and self-doubt of that age perfectly.

The critic calls it a surprisingly poignant look at healing and growing up online, highlighting Elsie Fisher's endearing performance and Burnham's restraint and insight into teenage girls' lives.

The critic deems it an obscenely accomplished directing debut that vividly evokes the awkwardness of adolescence, praising the authentic, heartbreaking realism of the teenagers and Elsie Fisher's performance.

The critic praises Bo Burnham's debut for its sincere and nonjudgmental portrayal of middle school angst in the social media era, highlighting Elsie Fisher's breakout performance as the shy, anxious Kayla. The film is lauded for its authenticity and emotional depth without relying on typical teen movie tropes.

The film captures awkward middle-school moments and features a strong lead performance from Elsie Fisher, but it feels like a rough draft that lacks the details and cinematic flair to elevate it beyond a fine slice-of-life drama.

The critic praises the film for telling the truth about teenage life and the struggle to make sense of the senseless. They highlight how it captures the feeling of being unappreciated by the cool crowd and the importance of Kayla blogging her own feelings.

The critic calls the film a sheer delight that feels fresh, relevant and self-assured as a modern coming-of-ager. They single out Elsie Fisher's revelatory breakthrough performance as Kayla for particular praise.

The critic describes the film as an altogether impressive debut and a millennial 'Welcome to the Dollhouse'. They single out the authentic portrayal of Kayla's self-reflectiveness and Elsie Fisher's pitch-perfect performance.