Eighth Grade

This movie is a masterpiece in many ways, from its perfect cast to its crafty camerawork and immersive electronic score by Anna Meredith. But, most of all, this movie is what it is for its central performances from Elsie Fisher as Kayla and Josh Hamilton as her dad. Going into this movie, I didn’t realize Fisher was already a cinematic hero of mine. As it turns out, she’s the voice of Agnes from the first two Despicable Me movies. Agnes is the “It’s so fluffy I could die!” girl. So, Fisher, in my mind, is one of the greatest voice actresses of all time, because that moment right there is legendary in the world of animation. Hell, I have it as a ringtone. In Eighth Grade, Fisher shows her talents go well beyond voice, creating a character that captures the awkwardness, joy, sorrow and virtual hell of that last year before high school when everything is just about to shift into an all-new, freaky gear. Yes, the movie captures the significance of social media and its impact on adolescents, but so much of this film is timeless and universal. It’s a storytelling triumph. While the film can certainly be categorized as funny, it tackles some of the nasty sides of a girl’s childhood head on, sometimes in scary fashion. As Kayla prepares for high school, she winds up in a situation or two that takes her from joyful elation to horrified in mere seconds. It’s heartbreaking, even terrifying to watch at times, but Burnham and Fisher expertly navigate the emotional waves. Fisher and Hamilton should find themselves in the running for year-end acknowledgments.