As 2018 comes to a close I thought it would be a good time to share my favorite physical releases of the year. I am a big supporter of physical media and will continue to support it. I like owning my movies that I can hold, not in some cloud somewhere. I love box art. This year was a great year for exclusive Steelbooks at Best Buy. Some of them will make my list. In deciding the number I fell on the most obvious one, 18.
Number 9 is the teen comedy/drama Eighth Grade!
Eighth Grade was such a surprise for me. From first time director/comedian/internet sensation Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade follows shy teen Kayla as she experiences the final week of Eighth Grade leading up to high school.
I absolutely adore this movie. Elise Fisher is amazing as a young woman who attempts to navigate her little viewed YouTube channel and her own self-awareness. As far as an actual overarching plot there isn’t much, as Burnham is more focused on the journey Kayla is going through. Her crushing on the heartthrob of the school, to being forced to go to a pool party, Burnham forces us to view the story through Kayla’s eyes which at times is heartbreaking, funny and awkward. The MVP of the movie besides Fisher is her father Mark, played with amazing depth and warmth by Josh Hamilton. Hamilton brought me to tears a couple times in the film.
For a little comedy/drama Eighth Grade looks amazing on blu-ray. Detail levels are incredibly high, from skin tones to the brightness of a mall, the disc delivers a solid picture.
The audio is also totally Gucci. The soundtrack comes through the speakers with amazing clarity. The dialogue which is so important in a film like this is also heard clearly. I am actually impressed with how great this movie sounds, something I did not expect from a smaller scaled film.
The extras are great as well. The commentary from Burnham and Fisher is a delight. You will also get a 15 minute making of featurette which might not seem like that long of a making of, but it delivers some strong interviews. Also included are about 12 minutes of deleted scenes, a music video and the trailer.
I love when a movie surprises me, Eighth Grade did just that. From sure handed direction by Burnham, to amazing performances by the cast, Eighth Grade is not only one of the best movies of 2018, it’s also one of the best blu-rays.
Film: A
Video: A
Audio: A
Extras: A
Overall: A