Eighth Grade (2018)***

Eighth Grade ended I felt different. I was and still am unsure how I feel about this movie, but the very fact that I'm still digesting it confirms that it did get its hooks in and well, I guess I like it. I even want to watch it again just to see if I get anything else out of it a few days later.

Eighth Grade follows Kayla's last few days of middle school and the viewer gets a gander into what felt like a realistic suburban-adolescent-not-popular girl's life. There's sooooooo much awkwardness! But I was able to ride along with her for the stomach clenching, the butterflies and irrational angry outbursts. Elsie Fisher was amazing and so authentic and intense as Kayla. I was very drawn into her character. The movie had an intensifying pace, building gradually, but without rushing to a feel-good ending.

This isn't a movie I can watch over and over, but I do think it is well-made and Elsie gave an award-worthy performance. Eighth Grade falls on the Cinematic Masterpiece end of the rating scale and gets three*** stars.