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Booksmart

***Taps 🎤, and takes a deep breath…begins speaking without stopping***

🗣️🗣️🗣️TEEN FILMS ARE KILLING IT LATELY!!!!🔊🔊🔊

Look, “Dope,” “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” “mid90s,” shit even “Teen Titans Go! to the Movies!” were all well-produced, and exceptionally directed.

“Booksmart” adds to this recent group of awesome teen-focused films. But this film is just good, not good for a “teen” film but because the shit is actually super dope. Flat out, an ornate snapshot of two overachieving teen feminists amongst a flood of Gen-Zers who suppressed their ‘fun’ genes throughout all four years of high school in pursuit of those Ivys.  (Relatabilty score: 88%) 

The intro of both Molly (played by Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (played by Kaitlyn Dever) was well done. The early morning rituals including necessary meditation, and an impromptu dance break with your bestie on the way to school definitely categorizes a specific type of student, and you either knew this person in high school or you definitely were this person in high school.

In all of their inner egotism of high achievement and in comparing their scholastic achievements to their peers, who they perceive as slackers with no futures…oh baby. The script is thine flippeth. Turns out the shawties who actually enjoyed high school, partied and studied, they uhhh were all accepted into equally exceptional schools or had Fortune 500 opportunities lined up.  

Hold thine horses. 🏇🏻 Facepalm. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Egg on face.🍳🤨

Like someone wise always said: Never underestimate your opponents.

 

So then comes the pact: on the eve of their high school graduation, go to THEE party with the kids they hate in public but secretly want to be around and in their good graces. Ya know, live a little!

Oh, and the adventures of party-hopping commence: 

      • Part I: hit up a dud that you thought was gonna be lit, but you’re the only one there… 
        • Part IA: At said dud,  get drugged inadvertently…
      • Part II: On the way to the “real” party, cue all the mishaps…
      • Part III: You finally make it to THEE party, it ends in some bullshit and ruins a friendship. Literally the story of my college life.

Olivia Wilde. SIS, you murked this!!! An example of exceptional framing—the pool scene at the climax. 🔥🔥🔥 The fight scene between the two besties. The final scene dropping homegirl off at the airport. Emotional and touching. And hilarious.

 

The main and supporting cast is full of future stars. I’m so excited to see more of Mason Gooding, Skyler Gisondo, Diana Silvers, Molly Gordon, Billy Lourd (her character popping up at every party was a hoot!), Austin Crute (also played “Justin Bieber” in an episode of “Atlanta”), Nico Hiraga, and Eduardo Franco. And also, my love Jessica Williams, and the legends Lisa Kudrow and Will Forte were a great additions to the cast.

 

The directionality of the relationships/friendships/situationships was refreshing and somewhat novel. The writing broke a few traditional plot conventions in building and maintaining dialogue.  The quirky, awkward humor is relevant and familiar, reminiscent of the Michael Cera-led teen films of the late 2000s.  I enjoyed these highlights of realness-ness:

    • Jason Sudeikis’s character plays the high school’s principal who also drives Uber on the side.
    • Jessica Williams plays the girls’ favorite teacher, but she is so damn messy in that she smashes an over-aged student with zero shame.
    • The girls’ phones die right before a pivotal moment because of course it would.
    • A lovely first sexual encounter scene is declared D.O.A. after a super-human moment occurs, and it’s glorious and tragic and hilarious and redeemable.
    • You always end up falling for the person that’s good for you, not the one you think you need in the moment who is probably trash. And that’s okay.

 

Also, the music supervisor is lit 🔥🔥🔥 for this soundtrack. Kudos to you, shawty.

 

**hops on soapbox**

WE NEED MORE CIS- AND TRANS-WOMEN DIRECTORS! MORE CIS- AND TRANS-WOMEN PRODUCERS! MORE CIS- AND TRANS-WOMEN SCREENWRITERS! WE NEED MORE STORIES, PEOPLE! HOLLYWOOD IS ROLLING RIGHT NOW, BUT WE NEED MORE!

**hops off soapbox**

 

And…scene! **exhales**