“Eighth Grade” is one of the best modern coming of age films to come out recently. It captures the struggles of growing up in today’s society in a way that seems to resonate with viewers unlike any other movie has, focusing a lot on social media and the huge role it plays in every teenager’s experience growing up nowadays.

The movie portrays anxiety and self-identity extremely well. With the main character being very introverted, the film does a great job at capturing how so many ordinary things can often times feel like the end of the world for her and many other middle schoolers. Alongside the typical adolescent problems, the movie also does not fail to show just how cringe-worthy middle school is.

“Eighth Grade” focuses on thirteen-year-old Kayla as she goes through her last week of eighth grade and faces problems involved with anxiety, identity, and social life. It’s the classic coming-of-age movie trope, however it addresses social media in a way that makes it more accurate and more relatable to today’s teens.

The film is comparable to many other movies like “The Breakfast Club”, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, and “Lady Bird”. The audience really develops a connection with the main character and it’s a movie that will stick with you for years after watching it.

Overall, “Eighth Grade” is one of the most underrated movies of the summer of 2018. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will definitely make you cringe. As Bo Burnham’s first film, he did a fantastic job at capturing the perfect modern coming-of-age movie.

Click here to access other articles in Volume 4, Issue 1 of The Roaring Gazette.