Booksmart is 2019’s Blockers, a raunchy, over-the-top buddy comedy that’s actually about something and makes you feel things (even in your cold, cold heart) by film’s end. And I love it. We’ve had a surprisingly decent run of American comedies between surprise hits like Blockers, Game Night and now (currently Sundance darling) Booksmart. I am starting to have hope that directors like Kay Cannon (Blockers) and newcomer Olivia Wilde (Booksmart, in her directorial debut) may actually be able to bring the genre back from the hopeless abyss in which it’s been languishing for the last decade or so.
At this film’s core is a wonderful, genuine, charming relationship between its two main characters, Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever). Seeing two well-written, strong, intricate female high school characters lead a film like this is totally invigorating. Every time the two are paired onscreen together, Booksmart shines. There’s a palpable chemistry between them. From the opening scene featuring the hilarious monologue in the trailer, you can’t help but root for each of these girls as they realize there’s more to life than just schoolwork. This film is well worth a watch with your best friend just for some quality bonding time. Just be prepared for the raunchiness . . . because there’s a lot of it. But I know I found myself laughing more times than I could count and I had a blast watching this film.
That said, these two aren’t onscreen together the entire time, and when they’re not together the film’s power recedes slightly. I still enjoyed it, but some of the story lines felt rushed and messy. Amy has a romantic subplot that, while fresh in its originality, resolves itself in a rather clichéd way while the duo goes through a very overused “events separate them but they get back together because of X” trope you see in a lot of modern American comedies (all of them). Formulaic is the word. The film gets formulaic in its third act. Still, being formulaic isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? I just wish a film with this much originality didn’t have such a cookie-cutter conclusion.
Booksmart was a hit at Sundance, and I can see why—it’s a trailblazing film, despite some of its faults, from a beloved indie actress making her anticipated directorial debut. Olivia Wilde’s mumblecore roots can be felt throughout the film (I’m sure there will even be some comparisons to Drinking Buddies), and it is wildly refreshing to see a premise we hardly ever see being put forth in a modern American comedy. It’s exactly what we need in a modern American comedy in 2019.
