A sharp, affectionate coming-of-age comedy that turns one chaotic graduation-night quest into a funny, emotionally observant portrait of friendship, anxiety, and self-invention. It’s especially rewarding if you like fast dialogue, awkward social comedy, and teen stories that care about character as much as punchlines.
Booksmart
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Comedy
Fri · 1h 42m
Director: Olivia Wilde
Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams
Overview
Two academic teenage superstars realize, on the eve of their high school graduation, that they should have worked less and played more. Determined to never fall short of their peers, the girls set out on a mission to cram four years of fun into one night.
Director
Olivia Wilde
Cast
Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, affectionate coming-of-age comedy that turns one chaotic graduation-night quest into a funny, emotionally observant portrait of friendship, anxiety, and self-invention. It’s especially rewarding if you like fast dialogue, awkward social comedy, and teen stories that care about character as much as punchlines.
Best for
coming-of-age comedy fans
viewers who like smart, character-driven teen movies
fans of queer-friendly ensemble comedies
people who enjoy awkward, high-energy party-night plots
audiences looking for a warm friendship story
Skip if
you want broad, raunch-first comedy
you dislike high school settings
you prefer plots with heavy stakes or genre twists
you’re not interested in emotionally sincere teen stories
Overview
Booksmart is a breezy, sharply observed high school comedy that understands how embarrassing, tender, and mythologized adolescence can feel. It uses one wild night to unpack years of overachievement, social anxiety, and the fear of missing out, while never losing sight of the central friendship at its heart.
Worth noting
What makes it stand out is the balance: the movie is very funny, but it’s also unusually empathetic toward its characters. The performances sell the awkwardness and the chemistry, and the script keeps finding fresh ways to turn teen-movie situations into something specific and alive.
Bottom line
It’s also a movie about identity without turning that into a lecture. The humor is quick, the pacing is lively, and the emotional payoff lands because the film cares about who these girls are, not just what happens to them over one night.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Lucy (4.5★) · 14755 likes
I LOST MY VIRGINITY IN WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A PARK BUT... IT TURNED OUT TO BE A GRAVEYARD AND NOW THE GHOST SPIRITS LIVE INSIDE MY EGGS WAITING TO BE REBORN
davidehrlich (4★) · 10754 likes
literally every movie should be set during senior year of high school. no exceptions.
ciara (5★) · 9982 likes
when amy doesn’t know how to interact with the girl she likes and just awkwardly throws up a peace sign... THIS is the lesbian representation we have wanted and needed
issy 🥝 (5★) · 8089 likes
wonderful film but they had the choices to go to a BOAT party with JARED and a MASSEUSE where they’re giving out FREE IPADS, and the choice to go to a MURDER MYSTERY party where they get to ACT as COOL MISCELLANIOUS CHARACTERS with BACKSTORIES with music in the background that sounds straight out of THE GREAT GATSBY, and instead they desperately wanted to go to a plain old HOUSE PARTY with people that SHIT TALK THEM in school BATHROOMS.
aaron (5★) · 7758 likes
this is superbad for girls and the gays
Themes
coming of age, female friendship, queer identity, high school, self-discovery, social anxiety, graduation, FOMO
Topics
coming-of-age, teen comedy, female friendship, queer coming-of-age, high school, graduation, party crawl, awkward humor, millennial/Gen Z, warm ensemble