---
title: "Booksmart"
year: 2019
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/booksmart"
fi1m_id: "booksmart"
imdb_id: "tt1489887"
tmdb_id: 505600
wikidata_id: "Q55605752"
fi1m_score: 81
critics_score: 84
critics_reviews: 23
published: "2026-09-16"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:08.492401+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Booksmart (2019)

Directed by Olivia Wilde · 1h 42m · MPA R · Comedy

## Identity

Booksmart

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/booksmart
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** booksmart
- **IMDb ID:** tt1489887
- **TMDB ID:** 505600
- **Wikidata ID:** Q55605752
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1489887/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/505600, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55605752

**Fi1m score: 81** · Critics 84 from 23 reviews

*In a sentence:* Two high achievers tackle a night of partying as though there might be extra credit

> Olivia Wilde makes a funny, warm high-school comedy, with Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever convincing as friends who have overestimated their own judgement. The tidy handling of their mistakes is the main reservation.

## Synopsis

High-achieving schoolfriends Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) have treated teenage fun as something other people do. Now they want a share of it. Over a single night of partying, they try to make up for the experiences they have missed, with their friendship setting the terms of the expedition. Among the people around them are Jared (Skyler Gisondo) and Gigi (Billie Lourd). Molly and Amy approach the night with confidence in their own intelligence, but that proves less useful when they have to reconsider the classmates they thought they understood.

## Review

*Booksmart* is a funny, generous high-school comedy with a tendency to make growing up look easier than it is. Olivia Wilde gives two academically successful friends a night to discover how much they have misunderstood about the people around them. The attraction is watching them get things wrong without losing our affection, even when their confidence becomes irritating. We recommend it for the friendship and the jokes, with a reservation about how neatly its messier feelings are tidied away.

The script, credited to Susanna Fogel, Sarah Haskins, Emily Halpern and Katie Silberman, gives its bright girls a useful failing: they have mistaken good marks for good judgement. Molly and Amy are allowed to be selfish, blinkered and convinced that they already understand everybody else. Their classmates become people worth knowing, rather than targets supplied to flatter the heroines. We laughed at the gap between the girls’ certainty and their grasp of other people. The jokes work because their misjudgements are so recognisable.

Beanie Feldstein’s Molly and Kaitlyn Dever’s Amy make that friendship believable before the film asks us to worry about it. They are persuasive as girls accustomed to sharing a judgement before either has finished forming it. The quick exchanges have the ease of an established routine, and both actors leave room for the other to be funny. The quieter reactions matter as much as the dialogue, especially when confidence gives way to uncertainty. We believe these two have spent a great deal of time together.

Jason McCormick’s cinematography suits the rush into a social life the girls have kept at a distance. The polished images make the partying inviting, and Olivia Wilde keeps the visual playfulness connected to her excitable leads. Katie Byron’s production design helps make this teenage world look comfortable and desirable, perhaps too consistently. There is little sense of anyone having to worry about what any of this costs. That fits the girls’ sheltered outlook, but it limits how far the film looks beyond their social circle.

Editors Jamie Gross and Brent White keep the night moving at a pace that makes the detours easy to forgive. At 102 minutes, the film has enough room for the central pair to hesitate without making every hesitation into a lesson. The music, credited to Dan the Automator, Boys Noize and Twin Shadow, helps sustain the excitement between the jokes. There are stretches when the combination of brisk cutting, music and polished pictures pushes too hard for our enjoyment; the actors need less encouragement than the film gives them.

The more substantial weakness is the willingness to soften awkward feelings once they threaten to become unpleasant. Olivia Wilde is attentive to teenage hurt, but sometimes seems too eager to reassure us that it will prove manageable. That makes the comedy agreeable company, and slightly reduces the force of the girls’ mistakes. We wanted a little more time with the discomfort, rather than another reminder that these are decent people underneath.

*Booksmart* is at ease with girls being crude and unreasonable, which is a useful quality in a bawdy school comedy. We do not need these friends to be role models, and the film usually remembers that. It can afford to let them embarrass themselves because the actors have made us fond of them. Watch it with someone who remembers when being good at school seemed a reliable guide to everything else.

*Fi1m score 81, published 16 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The consensus is warmly positive, with praise clustering around Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever’s comic timing and convincing friendship. Most critics find that Olivia Wilde’s assured direction gives the high-school comedy fresh energy without losing sympathy for its teenagers. The sharp dialogue, inventive visuals and lively supporting cast draw repeated approval. The reviews also welcome a female-centred, inclusive approach that allows its heroines to behave badly without making everyone around them a target.

The differences are chiefly between enthusiasm and outright delight, rather than competing verdicts. Reservations concern the polish and the softened consequences: Consequence finds the affluent teenage setting sometimes oppressively unrealistic, while The Ringer argues that the crowd-pleasing approach smooths over harsher feelings. Slant Magazine notes minor formal missteps but values the less mean-spirited treatment of familiar material. These qualifications leave broad agreement on the humour and the strength of the central pairing intact.

## Straight answers

**Is Booksmart worth watching?**

*Booksmart* is worth watching for anyone who wants a funny, warm high-school comedy about two clever friends who have overestimated their own judgement, and we scored it 81. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever make the friendship believable, and the jokes land. Our reservation is that the film tidies away its messier feelings too neatly.

**How long is Booksmart, and what is it rated?**

*Booksmart* runs 1h 42m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy film.

**Where can I watch Booksmart in the US?**

*Booksmart* is streaming on The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV from $3.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Booksmart, and is it suitable for children?**

*Booksmart* is a 15 in the UK and rated R in the US, so it is not for children. It is a bawdy comedy about a night of teenage partying, with crude language and behaviour rather than violence or anything frightening. It suits older teenagers and adults who do not mind girls being rude and unreasonable.

**How does Booksmart compare to Ghost World?**

*Booksmart* is the warmer and funnier of the two, while [*Ghost World*](https://film.one/film/ghost-world) is sharper and sourer about two friends discovering the limits of what they share. Both are worth seeing, but they suit different moods. Choose *Booksmart* for affectionate comedy and a fast night out; choose *Ghost World* for a slower, more unforgiving look at teenage discontent.

**What should I watch after Booksmart?**

After *Booksmart*, try [*Ghost World*](https://film.one/film/ghost-world) (2001, Fi1m 84): A sharper, sourer look at two friends discovering the limits of shared contempt. Then [*Bend It Like Beckham*](https://film.one/film/bend-it-like-beckham) (2002, Fi1m 76): Another funny friendship complicated by ambition and different ideas about the future; and [*Dazed and Confused*](https://film.one/film/dazed-and-confused) (1993, Fi1m 86): An ensemble school comedy that understands the effort involved in appearing carefree.

### Reviews we read (27)

- **Empire**, Ella Kemp (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Olivia Wilde’s debut as a note-perfect millennial portrait that captures the immediacy and specificity of youthful hedonism and female friendship without relying on broad messages. She singles out the lead performances by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever for their unfiltered charisma and the film’s euphoric, Polaroid-ready moments and spirited visuals. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/booksmart-review/)
- **Variety** (90/100, inferred): The review hails the film as the best high-school buddy comedy since Superbad, praising the uproarious energy, strong cast, and Wilde's assured direction with bold surprises. It notes the script's long development and the leads' standout work. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/booksmart-review-1203159846/)
- **Vulture** (90/100, inferred): The film is a goddamn delight and a major moment in the teen movie canon, with standout performances from Feldstein and Dever and a fantastically colorful ensemble. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/booksmart-movie-review.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film wickedly sharp and full of surprises, crediting Olivia Wilde's verve and the sharp script for elevating a familiar buddy-comedy template. He singles out the leads' performances for their comic timing and emotional depth. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-booksmart-review-20190523-story.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (4/4/4): The critic praises the film's riotously funny charm and strong lead performances as a highlight of recent teen comedies. They single out the empathetic portrayal of female friendship and characters for praise. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/booksmart)
- **Radio Times**, Terry Staunton (4/5): The critic calls it a razor-sharp high-school comedy sparkling with wit and strong chemistry between leads. They praise the stylish direction and depiction of female teenage life with a killer soundtrack. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2im0kx/booksmart/)
- **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): The review finds the leads terrific in a winning portrait of female friendship and a confident directorial debut mixing humour and poignancy. It singles out the complex, non-stereotypical characters for praise. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/booksmart-review/5137695.article)
- **The Guardian** (80/100, inferred): The critic praises Olivia Wilde’s slick directorial debut for its fast, funny and feminist dialogue and for expertly modulating the giddy highs and bittersweet lows of teenage life. They single out the charged chemistry between leads Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever along with a surreal stop-motion sequence. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/may/25/olivia-wilde-booksmart-review-fast-funny-feminist)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, John DeFore (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the hilarious, blazingly paced teen comedy as Olivia Wilde's feature debut, highlighting the charismatic comic team of Feldstein and Dever and the colorful ensemble. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/booksmart-review-1193663/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a headlong, inventive high-school comedy that refreshingly avoids genre formulas with its all-female writing team and strong performances. He highlights the central friendship and clever, memorable details that keep it engaging. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/27/olivia-wildes-booksmart-swerves-aside-from-expectations)
- **The Telegraph**, Tim Robey (4/5): The review calls Booksmart a lovable teen comedy that overachieves on every level thanks to its snappy direction and unbreakable central friendship. It singles out the joyful chemistry between the two leads as reaching inspired levels. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/booksmart-reviewolivia-wildes-lovable-teen-comedy-overachieves/)
- **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (4/5): The review commends the film as a strong high-school comedy with compassion and evolving characters. It highlights the director's debut showing loads of empathy in a single night of partying. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/booksmart)
- **Slant Magazine**, Pat Brown (75/100, inferred): The film is a corrective to Superbad, less mean-spirited, proving one can center girls’ experiences without sacrificing grossness, though with some minor formal missteps. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/booksmart-review-olivia-wilde/)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (Critic's Pick): The critic praises the film as a fast, brainy teenage comedy that upends assumptions about high-achieving students and popular kids. He singles out the central duo's chemistry and the film's energetic, witty take on one wild night of belated fun. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/movies/booksmart-review.html)
- **The Times** (★★★★☆): The critic places the film immediately among high-school classics like Mean Girls and Superbad for its wit, raucous energy and emotional wallop. They single out Wilde’s cinematic style, including inventive sequences and strong supporting turns such as Lisa Kudrow. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/booksmart-review-3rthncb08)
- **Den of Geek**, Rosie Fletcher (5/5): The critic calls it a joyful, hilarious coming-of-ager that's way smarter and sweeter than it looks, praising its fresh take on teen comedy tropes with inventive visuals and pitch-perfect performances. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/booksmart-review-a-clever-teen-com-that-s-top-of-its-class/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (A-): The critic adored Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut for its deep empathy toward its brainy teenage leads and teenagers in general, turning what could have been a raunchy comedy into a character-driven story of misadventures and relationships. Wilde’s sharp direction and the terrific ensemble cast, especially Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, make it a warm, funny, and uplifting film worth revisiting. [Read](https://collider.com/booksmart-review/)
- **/Film**, Joi Childs (9/10): Wilde's first feature is a hilarious, sharp, endearing female-driven coming-of-age comedy that pushes the genre further with strong leads and fresh direction. The relationship between Molly and Amy anchors the film, which stands out for its queer, diverse, and female-centered perspective. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/564878/booksmart-review/)
- **The Playlist**, Rodrigo Perez (90/100, inferred): Olivia Wilde's debut is a hyper-fresh, stylish mash-up of Superbad and John Hughes for Lady Bird overachievers, a coming-of-age classic with terrific chemistry, humor, and emotion. It ends on a perfect note mixing poignant feeling with teen vibrancy. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/booksmart-sxsw-review-20190311/)
- **The Wrap** (90/100, inferred): The critic hails it as one of the most perfect coming-of-age comedies, singling out the natural chemistry and intimacy of the central female friendship and the inclusive, modern handling of teenage sexuality and diverse identities. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/booksmart-film-review-olivia-wilde-2019/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a fresh, authentic take on the nerds-on-the-loose teen comedy trope, highlighting Olivia Wilde's expert direction and the believable, winning lead performances by Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein. [Read](https://deadline.com/video/booksmart-review-kaitlyn-dever-beanie-feldstein-star-olivia-wilde-directs-raunchy-girls-night-out-movie/)
- **Digital Spy**, Daisy Phillipson (85/100, inferred): The critic hails it as a classic in the making that reinvents the high-school buddy comedy with effortless diversity and genuine laughs centered on authentic female friendship. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a27626014/booksmart-review-superbad-woke/)
- **Polygon**, Karen Han (85/100, inferred): The critic hails Booksmart as a smarter, funnier Superbad that puts two teenage girls in the spotlight, allows them to behave badly and be selfish, and above all remains kind by dismantling stereotypes rather than propping up protagonists at others’ expense. It singles out the natural chemistry between Dever and Feldstein and the lived-in details of female friendship and growing up as what make the film sing. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/23/18627608/booksmart-review-olivia-wilde-beanie-feldstein-kaitlyn-dever/)
- **Consequence** (B+): The critic calls Booksmart a filthy, sweet, and hilarious directorial debut from Olivia Wilde that gives its female leads the kind of raunch historically reserved for boys, with strong performances from Feldstein and Dever and a confident visual style. While praising the heartfelt portrait of friendship, it notes the film’s slick, upper-crust bubble can feel oppressively unrealistic. [Read](https://consequence.net/2019/05/film-review-booksmart/)
- **The Ringer**, Manuela Lazic (80/100, inferred): The critic finds Wilde’s charming debut captures something new in the teen comedy by immersing its overachieving heroines in a lawless world of youthful possibility and consequences-free fun while highlighting their perfectionism and nerdiness with sympathy. It praises the leads’ layered performances and the film’s enthusiasm for the transformative disappointments of teenhood, though it notes the director’s crowd-pleasing approach sometimes smooths over harsher emotional edges. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2019/05/23/movies/booksmart-review-olivia-wilde-beanie-feldstein-caitlyn-dever-high-school-comedy)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson: Wilde's directorial debut offers a modern, inclusive makeover of the bawdy high school comedy with a warm message and empathy for all characters. The central pairing of Molly and Amy is a cracker, supported by sharp performances and classy characterization that rings true beneath the humor. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/booksmart-2019-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)
- **HeyUGuys**, Luke Walpole: The film balances laugh-out-loud moments with genuine heart, catapulting it into the pantheon of coming-of-age films. The leads and supporting cast are superbly drawn, with the central friendship driving the story through intelligent takes on adolescent contradictions. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/booksmart-review/)

## Details

- **Director:** Olivia Wilde
- **Director:** Olivia Wilde
- **Writer:** Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, Katie Silberman
- **Cinematography:** Jason McCormick
- **Editor:** Jamie Gross, Brent White
- **Music:** Dan the Automator, Twin Shadow, Boys Noize
- **Production design:** Katie Byron
- **Costume design:** April Napier
- **Producer:** David Distenfeld, Chelsea Barnard, Megan Ellison
- **Cast:** Kaitlyn Dever as Amy; Beanie Feldstein as Molly; Jessica Williams as Miss Fine; Jason Sudeikis as Principal Brown; Lisa Kudrow as Charmaine; Will Forte as Doug; Victoria Ruesga as Ryan; Mason Gooding as Nick
- **Runtime:** 1h 42m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 24 May 2019
- **Genres:** Comedy
- **Budget:** $6 million
- **Box office:** $25 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noAtmtxgJYw

## Where to watch in the US

- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $19.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-16.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, KR, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Ghost World* (2001), Fi1m 84: A sharper, sourer look at two friends discovering the limits of shared contempt. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ghost-world.md)
- *Water Lilies* (2007): Teenage attraction unsettles female friendship, with far less comfort and considerably more silence.
- *Bend It Like Beckham* (2002), Fi1m 76: Another funny friendship complicated by ambition and different ideas about the future. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/bend-it-like-beckham.md)
- *Linda Linda Linda* (2005): Schoolgirls form a band, with friendship emerging through rehearsals and awkward pauses.
- *Dazed and Confused* (1993), Fi1m 86: An ensemble school comedy that understands the effort involved in appearing carefree. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/dazed-and-confused.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/booksmart