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8th June 2019
08:34pm BST
Over the course of an eventful 24 hours, the girls go through the motions, experiencing first crushes, awkward sexual encounters, and the intensity of teenage friendship.
However, Booksmart turns the formulaic high school genre on its head, in a way that feels fresh, relevant and important in 2019.
Like Saoirse Ronan’s character in Lady Bird, the girls are witty and politically engaged. Molly has a poster of Michelle Obama on her wall, and a bumper sticker that says ‘still a nasty woman’.
The action, meanwhile, takes place amidst a backdrop of smartphones, Snapchat, a stellar turn from Jesse Williams, and 2019’s coolest soundtrack.
With the character of Amy, it feels as though Wilde asks:
What if Janis Ian from Mean Girls was openly gay, and no one cared? What if she hooked up with Regina George on their graduation night?
In terms of representation, it feels miles ahead of Damien ‘too gay to function’ Leigh, whose sexuality was played mostly for laughs.
Sadly, Booksmart didn't make the Irish box office top ten during its opening weekend.
Don't let it totally flop like in the US, go see it while you can.Explore more on these topics:
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