Over-the-top action flicks like Avengers: Endgame and Aquaman rule our multiplexes. You can’t find a month in the year where a hundred-million-dollar blockbuster doesn’t overshadow the lower-budget competition. But every now and then a small-scale movie breaks out. At first, these breakout hits seem like little mice scurrying around the feet of stampeding elephants. But when the dust settles, these surprise films often leave the strongest impressions. Movies like Hereditary, A Quiet Place, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before stay on our minds long after a film like Bumblebee screeches out of theatres. If I had to bet which small-scale movie would become a sleeper hit in 2019, Booksmart would sit near the top of my list.
Booksmart centres on the relationship between two well-behaved high school seniors who played things a little too safe during the last four years. Before heading off to college, they decide to make up for lost time by partying harder than they’ve ever partied before. And of course, hijinks ensue.
Enjoy Booksmart’s red band trailer:
Booksmart is Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, and she’s working with a team of talented ladies to bring her filmmaking vision to life. Susanna Fogel (The Spy Who Dumped Me), and Katie Silberman (Set it Up) collaborated on the script, and Kaitlyn Dever (Detroit) and Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird) anchor the cast. And not to be left out are human laugh factories Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, and Jason Sudeikis who show up in supporting roles.
Since its SXSW screening Booksmart has received killer reviews. Critics are praising the writing, the performances, and Wilde’s skills behind the camera. You can feel Dever and Feldstein’s chemistry come alive during the two-minute trailer, and I can’t wait to catch this movie in a jam-packed theatre. There’s nothing quite like watching a legit gut-buster with a raucous crowd. May 24 can’t arrive soon enough.
Booksmart Synopsis:
Two academic superstars and best friends who, on the eve of their high school graduation, realize 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.
