Film Review: "Eighth Grade"

I often try to suppress my memories of middle school because, if I'm being completely honest, it was horrendous and I never want to go back to that time in my life ever again. With that in mind, Eighth Grade is a movie I never thought I'd like in a million years. I had heard it was so realistic it hurt, and it really hit the nail on the head when it came to encompassing an age in one film. I decided to give it a shot anyway, and I think I've found my new favorite movie.

Eighth Grade, written and directed by Bo Burnham, follows Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher), an eighth-grader dying for acceptance, companionship, and interaction, all through a lens of social media.

The opening scene of the film introduces us to Kayla's character as she records a YouTube video. In the video, she discusses the topic of "being yourself." Her dialogue is scattered and imperfect, chock-full of filler words like "um" and "like." It's authentic and endearing, which sets up Kayla's role to be a believable one.

In the following establishing scenes, you are introduced to her school and generation as a whole. Kids are shouting out vine references, adults are dabbing in an attempt to be "hip," and all the students seem to be glued to their phones. Despite whatever generation you may be from, we, as viewers, are immediately forced into Kayla's world of Snapchat, Instagram, Tumblr, and Buzzfeed and are able to get a real feel for the type of environment this middle school is.

Credit: slashfilm.com

There is an obvious divide between generations in Eighth Grade. The adult characters, like Kayla's father (Josh Hamilton), teachers, and peers' parents, all try to relate to the younger generation, while the kids want nothing to do with them. In an early scene, popular girl Kennedy(Catherine Oliviere)'s mom (Missy Yager) invites Kayla to her daughter's birthday party and tells Kennedy to invite her to the event on Facebook, to which Kennedy replies, "No one uses Facebook now." There is a clear disconnect between all three of the characters in this scene: Kennedy stares at her phone as her mom and Kayla chat, trying her best not to acknowledge her classmate; and the age gap between Kayla and Kennedy's mom is so evident as they speak that it's almost unbearable to watch.

The film uses Kayla's career on YouTube (or lack thereof) as a bridge between scenes to further enforce the central themes. In her videos, she gives advice in the perspective of having mastered socialization and "putting yourself out there," when really she's just trying to convince herself that she can actually do those very things. She utilizes YouTube as a way of making her aspirations public so that maybe, if she verbalizes them, they will come true.

Multiple times throughout the movie, Instagram DM is used to communicate between characters: Kennedy DMs Kayla to halfheartedly invite her to the party; Gabe (Jake Ryan) DMs Kayla for friendship and ends up being left on read because Kayla doesn't view him as being cool. This form of interaction envelops you into Kayla's social-media-absorbed reality. It's incredibly realistic and shines a light on how disconnected we all really are.

Kayla also turns to the Internet and social media for help that she doesn't feel like she can get from her father or classmates. Wanting desperately to be liked by a cute boy in her grade, she impulsively tells him that she gives really good BJs, then later turns to YouTube for tutorials on how to do such a thing. One way or another, this is a scene that just about everyone experiencing the Internet Age can relate to: when you don't feel confident enough or don't have an outlet to turn to someone else for advice, you seek it from strangers on the web.

Social media and Internet usage are seamlessly integrated into the plot of Eighth Grade. It feels natural, and it clearly reflects the current generation of eighth graders and their interaction with each other. Social media really drives the story line and determines a lot of how Kayla views herself. She feels the need to use Snapchat filters and YouTube beauty tutorials to be presentable, and she posts her own YouTube videos as a way to express herself and speak up about what she's really feeling.

Eighth Grade truly is a wonderful film that captures adolescence accurately, respectfully, and beautifully. It's just the right amount cringey and just the right amount corny. It's a lovely, goodhearted catalog of the pressures of fitting in and being liked, all while your body is changing and your anxiety is heightening. It brought me back to my middle school days, but in a bittersweet and hopeful way.

A Conversation with Photographer Eric Hsu

I recently had the pleasure of getting in contact with Eric Hsu, a street photographer based in NYC. When I went to Photoville last month, I saw his work for the first time and was immediately intrigued, then later decided to follow him on Instagram. Eric seemed like the perfect candidate for my "Admiration Outreach" assignment as I'd never met him before, yet loved his work and was able to find a way to reach out to him through social media.
Eric is self-taught and currently focusing on film photography and using manual cameras. He draws inspiration from photographic legend Helen Levitt. Levitt is a classic street photographer noted for her brilliant shots of life in NYC. When scrolling through Eric's Instagram, you can see how that inspiration translated into his own work. His shots are beautifully articulated and visually interesting. There is a distinct color pallet that carries you through every photograph.

credit: Eric Hsu

As far as getting established out in the world of photography, Eric gives credit to three main tools: Instagram, his website, and photo groups. He uses Instagram as an outlet to connect to people and "reach a larger audience"; his website to showcase his best work and provide the best ways to contact him; and photo groups to meet other photographers in person, learn from them, and gain exposure for his work. These, in tandem, helped him be both accessible and noticed in the photo world, hence how I was able to find his work.
I always find it interesting whether or not the photographers I look up to have had a formal education in the craft, so I asked Eric about his educational background. He studied bioengineering in school and has a full-time job apart from photography. He told me that he improved his technique and skill by "starting with the basics, practicing, and experimenting." Eric also emphasized to not hesitate when taking a photo and "just go for it."
Eric was very kind and helpful when answering my questions and provided a lot of insight into his experience in the photo industry.