If you told me in 2010 that viral internet comedian Bo Burnham would write and direct one of the most authentic coming-of-age films for modern preteen girls, I would have laughed. Yet that’s exactly what he did. With the emotional accuracy of John Hughes films in the ’80s, Eighth Grade examines the way technology permeates the lives of young girls today. The protagonist, Kayla (Elsie Fisher), begins her day with a YouTube makeup tutorial, followed by an “I woke up like this” selfie; endless scrolling through Instagram during meals; ignoring her concerned, single-parent father (Josh Hamilton); and hours of feverishly reblogging posts on Tumblr in her bedroom at night. It’s one of the best films of the 2010s, and it is now streaming free on Tubi.
Everett Collection
