Film Review: Booksmart

I had heard a lot about Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, with many hailing it as one of the best films of 2019, so I was of course very interested to see it and come to my own conclusion. I’m so glad that I took the time out to watch this movie, because the critics aren’t lying, it’s absolutely fantastic.

What struck me about Booksmart is how it has taken what should be a pretty generic coming-of-age comedy and somehow managed to make it feel original. It’s a very intelligent film that doesn’t always hit the predictable beats, yet everything that happens feels natural and unforced.

The biggest strength are the characters, they’re all well fleshed out, they’re relatable, flawed, and loveable. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever are absolutely fantastic as the two leads, they’re hilarious from start to finish and they had me laughing more times than I can count, they capture the innocence of these characters perfectly and they are a joy to watch.

As with every coming-of-age comedy, there is plenty of raunchy, vulgar comedy, however, it isn’t overbearing and never feels like it is too much. In fact, a lot of the comedy in this film is more clever and subtle. This, intertwined with some shocking moments, creates a perfect blend which makes Booksmart a unique form of hilarious.

Booksmart brings with it some very powerful, warm messages that will likely impact it’s audience, because I think there is plenty here that our generation is going to relate to, it’s rare for a comedy to still be on my mind so long after I’ve seen it, but this looks like it will be an exception and I commend everyone involved for making something that I doubt is going to be forgotten anytime soon, this is a comedy that is going to stand the test of time and I genuinely believe this will become an all time classic.

Overall, I loved Booksmart. It’s hilarious, it’s witty, it’s clever, it’s moving, it’s perfectly paced, it’s got everything you could possibly want in a film in this genre. I don’t throw around “must-watch” often, but this definitely comes under that bracket. I can’t wait to see what Olivia Wilde does next, because if this is any indication, she’s going to be huge, and we need more original films like this in an industry that is being somewhat diluted by big franchises. Booksmart was a true breath of fresh air, it’s one of my favourite films of the year so far. Stop reading this, go and watch it.

Until the next time!

I give Booksmart a 9/10.