Film Review | Booksmart

Booksmart is directed by Olivia Wilde and stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever.

Teen/Comedy. Released 2019.

Booksmart was one of those rare occasions where I had not seen any footage from the film before seeing it, with the exception of the odd 10-second social media pop-up and the poster. It was quite a refreshing experience and I am really glad I didn't pay the promotion any attention, because I am thrilled with the result.

Booksmart is an absolutely charming coming-of-age teen comedy, and feels like a marriage of Mean Girls with Lady Bird to generate a commercial comedy as well as a real and moving story about two teenage girls. The film initially does feel like an average teen comedy but as it progressed I realised how much I was invested in these characters and really felt an emotional attachment. While nailing most of the comedic moments - which there are many of, as in laugh-out-loud humour - what impressed me the most about Booksmart was the way in which it nailed the occasional but very impactful dramatic and emotional moments. No spoilers here, but there is a scene in the third act of the film which is a long, continuous shot with some really phenomenal acting from Dever and Feldstein that induced chills, something I would not expect from a film like this, and the best part of the film; evidence of really strong direction from feature-debut director Olivia Wilde. 

The lead performances are warm, heartfelt and really natural. Beanie Feldstein doesn't do anything particularly new for her; it almost seems like she was type-cast straight from Lady Bird, but this takes nothing away from her thoroughly comedic and sincere performance. Kaitlyn Dever, on the other hand, makes a really strong impression. Having seen her supporting role in the criminally under-watched Short Term 12 and her very minor but impactful role in Beautiful Boy, I hope that she's about to get noticed in a big way, and very excited for her future. Also, a quick shoutout to Billie Lourd for THAT.

As a couple of days have passed, and just after one watch, Booksmart grows on me more and more, and want to encourage anyone and everyone to go and support this film, especially those in the teenage demographic like myself - I have no doubt it will emotionally resonate in one way or another. 

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