The one prevailing criticism of most coming-of-age films Hollywood tends to produce is that the cast is usually comprised of maybe one actual very young person and a bunch of mid-20s actors pretending to be awkward and 15. They all look like Hollywood actors underneath the costumes, so to buy into any sense of pubescent realism requires a certain suspension of disbelief. However, that’s seemingly about to change thanks to Bo Burnham‘s directorial debut Eighth Grade, which dropped its first trailer a little earlier today.
The film copped utterly rave reviews at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, praising the film’s realism and the depiction of modern youth and, in particular, the film’s cast was singled out as being genuinely fitting of the tone and setting.
Eighth Grade stars Elsie Fisher as Kayla, an awkward thirteen-year-old navigating the final week of an already disastrous eighth grade year, her final year in US middle school before she moves on up to High School.
Bo Burnham, who some of you will no doubt recognise from his stand-up specials on Comedy Central Netflix or his litany of Vine videos, wrote and directed the film, which was produced by Scott Rudin whose prior producing credits include Zoolander, The Royal Tenenbaums, There Will Be Blood, Moneyball, and Frances Ha, among a laundry list of others.
Cop the extremely Enya-heavy trailer below, and get ready to start circling release dates in your diary. This one’s looking like a good’un.
Eighth Grade is scheduled for a theatrical release in the US on July 13th. No word just yet on any prospective Australian release date.
