Oscars 2019: 13 Biggest Acting Snubs

Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade is a sometimes hysterical, sometimes haunting film that serves as a perfect encapsulation of not only what its like to be a teenager on the cusp of adulthood in the modern world but also just what its like to feel perpetually trapped in adolescence.

Burnham's writing and direction are incredibly impressive, but none of it wouldn't have been even half as effective if not for the performance of Elsie Fisher. From the first moment we see her in her home-made YouTube video that opens the film, Fisher imbues Kayla with this openness and child-like sense of joy that feels completely genuine.

She's just a child and part of what makes the film so compelling is watching her go on this journey of self-discovery in which the world around her seems to be constantly trying to break her down and belittle her. This leads to moments like the side-splittingly hysterical attempt at sexual discovery with the banana-incident or what is perhaps the most cringe-inducing late-night car ride ever put to film.

It all culminates in Kayla and her father (played by the also incredibly excellent Josh Hamilton) having an intimate fireside chat about how much he loves her. It's a moment so small, yet it feels so big because Fisher's astounding performance sells it so well.