Booksmart is a coming of age comedy movie revolving around the exploits of two American high school girls coming to the end of their final year having dedicated their entire lives to studying and furthering their path forward to their dream careers ahead of them. Whilst the film opens up with some highly caricatured stereotypes from the overtly rich daddy’s boy to the significantly overdramatic gay guys in drama club, and though this might seem a little over the top you will realise later into the movie why certain individuals have been portrayed in these ways for the sake of the unveiling comedy ahead.
The film blossoms once the main character overhears other students slagging her off for dedicating her life to her studies which causes her to attempt to rub it in their faces that she’s going off to yale while they’re going to have terrible futures ahead of them (which lets face it as millennials the struggles are real) However it turns out that not only is one of them also going to yale but they all have bright futures ahead, including the seemingly dimmest who’s been hired by google due to his specialist skills, and causes her to have a breakdown and start asking literally everyone in the school and it turns out everyone has lived a full life of partying but also managed to study so well that they’re also all going to fantastic and renowned colleges and universities as well.
As a result of hearing this the lead character decides to make changes, and whilst the camera angle and cinematography suggest she’s going to become a serial killer and have a psychotic break the movie takes a more comedic turn following previously successful movies such as dude where’s my car, Harold & Kumar as well as even the hangover all of which follow a formulaic structure of a single night of calamity moving from one event to the next as everything doesn’t quite go to plan but leads to the hilarity resulting from the misadventures.
Without spoiling the movie essentially the plot follows the two girls as they attempt to make their way to the graduation party all of the students are posting clips having fun at, determined to live the full experience and have some significant memorable event and having been to a party before graduating to make up for having neglected that part of their lives in favour of their studies and gained nothing extra out of the sacrifice, and whilst they think they’re heading to the big party they end up going from one minor party to another through misunderstandings and people wanting them at their party rather than the main one.
There are plenty of laughs to be had throughout the series of calamities which unfold as well as a few emotional moments towards the end as the jokes build up and escalate as the girls make their disastrous night one to be remembered and cherished, and at the end of the movie you feel that everyone is a more rounded filled out character beyond their caricatures, and I had a good time laughing out loud at several points throughout the movie, and feeling emotional towards some of the events towards the end of the movie even if they were obvious to spot coming and as a result I would recommend going to see the movie if you’re looking to be entertained and have a good laugh. There are some adult jokes and adult natures (well a fair few) but that’s what you have to expect in a coming of age sort of movie right? Either way the comedy vibed well with me and I would recommend going to see it when the movie comes out near you.
Find out more details about booksmart at http://www.booksmart.movie/