BOOKSMART REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Olivia Wilde is probably best known for her roles in films such as Her, Rush, and Tron: Legacy. However, with her directorial debut, Booksmart, Wilde proves she's talented behind the camera, as well as in front of it. It does the seemingly impossible by adding a smart new spin to the coming-of-age comedy.

Booksmart focuses on Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein). They are two academic superstars and best friends who, on the eve of their high school graduation, suddenly realize that they should have worked less and played more. Determined never to fall short of their peers, the girls set out on a mission to cram four years of fun into one night.

For the majority of its 105 minute runtime, Booksmart is never anything less than thoroughly entertaining. The premise is simple but is executed brilliantly by Wilde's direction. The comedy doesn't feel forced and the majority of it comes from Amy and Molly, who spend most of the film, searching for a party that's being hosted by Nick (Mason Gooding), one of the popular guys at school. This leads to several amusing and awkward encounters, including with their principal, Jordan Brown (Jason Sudeikis). The scene in his car is one of the funniest and most memorable parts of Booksmart. With most comedies, the humour struggles at being frequent, with most of the jokes receiving a silent reception. Fortunately, this isn't the case for Booksmart, which succeeds at being consistently funny. 

The strongest aspect of Booksmart are the leading performances by Dever and Feldstein. Dever previously gave an impressive performance alongside Brie Larson in the 2013 drama, Short Term 12. As Amy, she continues to impress and makes her an interesting individual. She has a crush on another student, Ryan (Victoria Ruesga), and, over the course of the film, Molly encourages Amy to talk to her at Nick's party. What's most refreshing about Amy's sexuality is that Wilde doesn't make a big deal out of it. I've noticed that, with quite a few films, if a character is a member of the LGBTQ community, they are stereotyped into having eccentric and camp personalities. I liked that this wasn't the case for Amy. Feldstein previously appeared alongside Saoirse Ronan in last year's Lady Bird and left a lasting impression. However, I think that, with her portrayal of Molly, Feldstein has improved on her role in Lady Bird. Because the narrative surrounds Amy and Molly, Booksmart wouldn't have been as successful if it wasn't for Dever and Feldstein, who work really well together. Solid supporting roles come from Sudeikis, Skyler Gisondo, Molly Gordon, Jessica Williams and Billie Lourd. I found Lourd to be the most memorable of the five as she frequently appears throughout the film and provides humour.

Booksmart is written by a team of female writers, including Susanna Fogel, Katie Silberman, Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins. Fogel previously wrote the script for The Spy Who Dumped Me and Silberman is credited as the writer for Isn't It Romantic. Together, they've written a script that is consistently clever and funny, giving Feldstein and Dever a pair of well-rounded characters. It's also heartfelt and features a lot of relatable moments, including when Amy makes a shocking discovery at Nick's party, leading to an argument and brief falling out between her and Molly. Mainly because of Dever's performance, we can feel her pain and heartbreak. Dramatic scenes seem out of place in most comedies, however, this isn't the case for Booksmart. The scene quickly goes from funny to shocking, just from one revelation. While we know that Amy and Molly will eventually make up, in the moment when they're arguing, it's heartbreaking.
Booksmart currently has a 100% ‘Fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 45 critics giving it a positive review. This is impressive considering how divisive films can be. While the main target audience for Booksmart are viewers who are in high school, it can still be enjoyed by people outside of that group. It’s been five years since I left high school and, while I have mostly fond memories, I can relate to Amy and Molly, who both think that they should’ve partied more and had a lot more fun rather than focusing on getting the highest grades. What Booksmart teaches its viewers is that, whilst it is important to work hard and get good grades, it’s not worth devoting your entire time at high school and it’s okay to have fun every once in a while. That’s why I appreciated Booksmart and also why I would’ve loved to seen it during my time at high school when I was so stressed about exams and getting the perfect results.
Not only is Booksmart one of the best comedies we've had this year, it also showcases what a talented director Olivia Wilde is. It also benefits from the two impressive lead performances by Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein.
8/10