Eighth Grade

THE GIST: Kayla is a shy, insecure, and self-conscious teenage girl who's one week away from the end of middle school. She struggles to make friends in school and primarily interacts with others via social media. Her single father also seems incapable to pierce the shell she built around herself, no matter how hard he tries.

Eighth Grade is a veritable cinematic treasure and even more so for being the feature debut of director Bo Burnham.

Burnham also wrote the script, and he perfectly captured the rollercoaster that is early adolescence, the daily struggles with one's image, and how your peers react to you.

Elsie Fisher's turn as Kayla is absolutely amazing, and Josh Hamilton as her dad is adorable.

THE BOTTOM LINE: An excellent comedy/drama that will make you want to give this girl a big hug.

Grade: 8