booksmart: the movie that's impossible not to love

Annapurna Pictures

Okay, I know exactly what you’re thinking: all I do is talk about this movie.  But I can’t help it, I’m completely obsessed. Booksmart is everything I’ve been looking for in a film.

For those who haven’t been hearing me talk about it for the past month, Booksmart is Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut.  It revolves around two seniors on the eve of their graduation, as they have their first and last night of high school debauchery.

I first caught wind of Booksmart after it premiered at SXSW, and my interest was immediately peaked.  Then, the trailer came out, which only fueled my obsession. I sent the link to at least half of my contacts.  My friends and I made memes using the movie as our source material. At least once a day, I mentioned how excited I was for Booksmart to come out.

Seriously, my friend thought I was being paid to promote the movie. That's how much I talk about it.

When my friend told me that the company she interns at was holding a free screening of Booksmart, I literally started wheezing.  (That may or may not have been because of my current case of bronchitis.)  

Once the credits rolled, my friend immediately turned to me and asked if the film lived up to my expectations.  I responded, ‘it was everything I wanted and more.’

First off, never in my life have I connected so much with a film.  The characters felt like slightly skewed and exaggerated versions of my friends, classmates, parents, and most of all, myself.  During nearly every scene, I was shocked at how realistic and relatable the characters were.

Not only did the characters act like actual high schoolers, but they looked like them too—which is rare in a Hollywood film.  It was refreshing to see younger actors playing high schoolers without their hair, makeup and wardrobe appearing excessively styled.  If I saw one of the characters in my class, I wouldn’t think twice.

If you know me, then you know that I’m not the biggest fan of comedies.  That’s not the case for Booksmart (obviously).  This movie was funny, and I mean actually funny, double-over-laughing funny.  The jokes ranged from the expected vulgar high school humour to smart cultural references.  

Amidst a sea of remakes and franchises, it’s exhilarating seeing such a fresh and original film in cinemas, especially from a female director and writers.  Fingers crossed Booksmart starts a new trend.

Don’t miss out—go see Booksmart when it opens on 24th May in America!

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—Milly xx