Booksmart is the feminist coming-of-age raunch comedy we wish we got to see in high school
The internet is currently losing its collective mind over a new R-rated high school comedy that everyone is calling “Superbad, but with girls.” The film is Booksmart, and according to early reviewers who saw it on March 10th, 2019 at SXSW, it’s a “masterpiece.” The film stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as two straight-A students who try to live on the wild side for one night before they graduate from high school. Booksmart is also Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut and was written by several accomplished female screenwriters.
The film premiered at SXSW on March 10th, 2019 (though it will hit theaters for the rest of us on May 24, 2019), and according to the people who were at the SXSW screening, it’s an instant classic.
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/1104963099042430976
Holy smokes, Olivia Wilde’s #Booksmart is stupendous. If you were an extremely uncool girl in high school, this will hit you right in the heart. I howled with laughter – screamed really tbh – and leaked tears throughout. #SXSW 💙💙💙💙💙
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) March 11, 2019
BOOKSMART mad funny. #sxsw
— Valerie Complex @ TIFF 2022 (@ValerieComplex) March 11, 2019
I loved every inch of #Booksmart. A killer brew of high school party comedy crammed with true true true female friendship feelings. There are visually stunning scenes where @oliviawilde is just straight up flexing her impressive first-time director muscles. #SXSW
— Joanna Robinson (@jowrotethis) March 11, 2019
BOOKSMART: Olivia Wilde let’s it rip in her 1st festure, driving 100mph and handling curves.
Molly & Amy will become iconic movie best friends in this smile inducing, rated R ode to good girls.
And OF COURSE Allison Jones cast this fresh face, pitch perfect high school. #SXSW
— Chris O'Falt (@cofalt) March 11, 2019
The film also includes performances by comedy heavy-hitters like Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, and Lisa Kudrow, but the real stars are the two young women, Feldstein and Dever, who anchor the film.
Before the premiere, Wilde shared a lovely tribute to her two lead actresses.
"I really can’t explain my respect and love for these two brave, brilliant young women," Wilde wrote on Instagram. "They let me into their hearts and let me tap into their joy, fear, weirdness, and sadness, all so that we could tell a story that might make someone out there feel happy, or at least less alone."
We wish we had these kinds of movies when we were actually in high school, but even as a bunch of grown women, we are still 100% on-board for Booksmart. More of this, please!
