Hamilton for playing his part with "an empathetic cringe". The New York Times Manohla Dargis cited Josh Hamilton as "note-perfect". Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post highlighted Fisher for "a raw, radiantly generous performance". Varietys Peter Debruge judged the film "achingly honest" but clichéd in having Kayla infatuated with one boy (played by Luke Prael) and ignoring a better love interest (played by Jake Ryan) until the later acts. Peter Travers hailed Eighth Grade as "special and unique" for its "empathy", writing it is neutral on the Internet's effects on society but Kayla is addicted to electronics. For The New Yorker, Naomi Fry credited Eighth Grade with "queasy verisimilitude" and exploring the impact of social media on the lives of teenagers. Forbes contributor Dani Di Placido wrote the depiction of electronics was better than in most films, showing they were "powerful communicative tools that can isolate us, or bring us together, depending on how we choose to use them". Considering how Burnham first achieved notoriety on the Internet, Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips wrote Burnham was familiar with "the agitating seductions of our online lives". In the Los Angeles Times, Justin Chang evaluated Eighth Grade as "sharp, sensitive and enormously affecting". Entertainment Weekly gave it an A, with Chris Nashawaty praising Burnham for capturing Kayla's anxiety and hopes, depicted "in all of their miraculous, cringeworthy, universal beauty". The A.V. Club named the scenes between Fisher and Hamilton to be among the "funniest, most poignant" scenes. SF Gate critic Peter Hartlaub wrote the comedy is combined with "pure social and sexual horror". Benjamin Lee commented on the score in The Guardian, writing the use of electronic music was unexpected but "effective". Media outlets also referenced actress Molly Ringwald's approval. Ringwald tweeted "I just saw [Eighth Grade] and thought it was the best film about adolescence I've seen in a long time. Maybe ever". Ringwald contrasted the depiction of consent in Eighth Grade to that in John Hughes' The Breakfast Club (1985), which she starred in, concluding Burnham's film was more updated. Eighth Grade has been favorably compared with Hughes' filmography generally. Adam Chitwood wrote a mixed review on Collider.com, calling it "a rough draft" that needed editing to convey its points. Richard Brody in The New Yorker wrote the film was let down by "sentiment, stereotypes, and good intentions", and despite Fisher's performance, "Kayla remains merely a collection of traits". The