Booksmart

Olivia Wilde’s First is a Fun Ride! - 8/10

by Popcult Productions

Booksmart is a new movie that follows two academic superstars and best friends on the eve of their high school graduation, where they both realize that they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of fun into one night.
Booksmart marks Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut! It’s usually nice to see actors/actresses get behind the camera and bring their vision to the big screen for the first time. And in this case we have to say that Olivia Wilde knocked it out of the park! We actually found it brave of her to start off her first directing mark with a comedy, as a lot of experienced directors yet still fail to deliver a funny movie with a meaningful story. But, Olivia Wilde’s approach to the genre is definitely a refreshing one as it could’ve come off as cheesy and unpleasant take, she delivers a unique story that tackles a lot of details teenagers and students have to go through. She clearly knows her story more than enough, the plot of the movie rotates around a number of characters that were setup perfectly right from the beginning. The relationship between the two main characters was a fun experience and provides a lot of the comedy in the film, the two actresses (Kaitlyn Deven-Beanie Feldstein) shine in their roles, where it’s clear that their chemistry together on screen and their impressive performances bring so much emotion and heart to the characters they’re portraying. In addition, Olivia Wilde’s booksmart manages to grab our attention in the matter that she crafted a fun but emotional experience and most importantly a relatable one! When you leave a movie genuinely caring about the characters you’ve just seen and getting really emotionally attached to what they were through going, you have to give credits to the filmmakers for succeeding in doing their jobs! Even halfway through the movie, the characters were still uncovering a lot about themselves even if it was sometimes inserted for comedic purposes but the flow of events that take place make you connect more and more with the characters along the way. Now, sometimes the movie tries to make comedic moves where it was trying in a way to prove that the characters were acting naturally which sometimes totally works in comedy flicks, but in this case it actually fell short and felt a bit forced. In addition, the movie heavily relies on catchy music that really does set the mood for certain scenes and works pretty well with the look, tone, and the lighthearted aspect of the film. So hats off to Olivia Wilde for creating a fun and a memorable film that did leave its emotional impact on the audience. We can't wait to see what Olivia will bring next to the table!

Connect with Popcult Productions

Instagram
Facebook
View other reviews by Popcult Productions