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Eighth Grade is written and directed by Bo Burnham and stars Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, and Emily Robinson. The film focuses on eighth-grader Kayla Day (Fisher) who always has her phone in hand, hoping to find connections online that might make up for those she’s unable to forge in everyday life. She makes YouTube videos aimed at other adolescents dealing with similar issues—feelings of isolation, anxiety, and invisibility—but after so easily summoning this wisdom and confidence when addressing her (barely existent) audience, Kayla finds it paralyzingly difficult to apply in real situations. In the final week of a thus-far-disastrous school year—and with high school looming on the horizon—Kayla struggles to bridge the gap between how she perceives herself and who she believes she should be.

The film has been getting some very positive reviews both for its direction and the performances in the movie, and with the movie now in theaters, Burnham and Fisher stopped by the Collider studios recently to dole out advice to some of the staff. Perri Nemiroff, Jeff Sneider, Wendy Lee, Dorian Parks, and John Rocha take their turns asking the pair some pressing work and life questions. Burnham and Fisher offer some funny, unexpected, and heartwarming advice to the staff, including their thoughts on what to do about work food being in the refrigerator too long, what catchphrases can no longer be used without some ridicule, if a relationship is moving too fast, and more!

Eighth Grade is out in theaters now and is being called a "sharp" "smart" and "poignant" movie that is a "sensitive exploration of early adolescence in the age of social media". It's also a unique and empowering film that breaks through all the superhero and action movie fare this summer.

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Image via A24