Best friends Amy (Kaitlin Deaver) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are about to graduate from high school. They have given all their attention to their studies in order to get to the best colleges. When they find out that the kids ages school who had a lot more fun have got into the same colleges, they decide to spend the night before graduation partying. On the face of it, that scenario holds little appeal to me.
The prospect of annoying brats misbehaving amongst a sea of gross out humour isn’t one I would relish. Surprisingly, Booksmart isn’t that film. There are a few scenes of excess but this is more of character comedy. Feldstein and Deaver (who was also good in Beautiful Boy earlier this year) give fresh and nuanced performances. Their friendship feels totally natural, and they are warm and well rounded characters. There have been many films before depicting an evening spiralling out of control, but this is one of the best. The supporting characters initially seem to be one dimensional tropes.
However, we find out that they are much more than that. It’s great to see one of my favourite performers Jason Sudekis as the principal but it is Billy Lourd as the strange and hilarious Gigi who really catches the eye. Director Olivia Wilde, up to now known more for her acting, keeps things moving at a lively pace. The only lull I feel is the aftermath of the girls inadvertently taking drugs. That was the one moment of unoriginality with the hallucinatory scene not working. Otherwise this a funny and perceptive film.
Rating: 8 out of 10