--- title: "Booksmart: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/booksmart/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/booksmart" critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 23 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): what the critics said Critics' score 84 from 23 reviews: 23 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. 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. ## Empire — Ella Kemp Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/booksmart-review/) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 March 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/booksmart-review-1203159846/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/booksmart-movie-review.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-booksmart-review-20190523-story.html) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 4/4/4. 26 May 2019. 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 the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/booksmart) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2im0kx/booksmart/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 March 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/booksmart-review/5137695.article) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 25 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/may/25/olivia-wilde-booksmart-review-fast-funny-feminist) ## The Hollywood Reporter — John DeFore Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/booksmart-review-1193663/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/27/olivia-wildes-booksmart-swerves-aside-from-expectations) ## The Telegraph — Tim Robey Rating 4/5. 23 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/booksmart-reviewolivia-wildes-lovable-teen-comedy-overachieves/) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 4/5. 21 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/booksmart) ## Slant Magazine — Pat Brown Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/booksmart-review-olivia-wilde/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Rating Critic's Pick. 22 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/movies/booksmart-review.html) ## The Times Rating ★★★★☆. 24 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/booksmart-review-3rthncb08) ## Den of Geek — Rosie Fletcher Rating 5/5. 28 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/booksmart-review-a-clever-teen-com-that-s-top-of-its-class/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A-. 23 May 2019. 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 the review](https://collider.com/booksmart-review/) ## /Film — Joi Childs Rating 9/10. 11 March 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/564878/booksmart-review/) ## The Playlist — Rodrigo Perez Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 March 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://theplaylist.net/booksmart-sxsw-review-20190311/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/booksmart-film-review-olivia-wilde-2019/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2019. 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 the review](https://deadline.com/video/booksmart-review-kaitlyn-dever-beanie-feldstein-star-olivia-wilde-directs-raunchy-girls-night-out-movie/) ## Digital Spy — Daisy Phillipson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a27626014/booksmart-review-superbad-woke/) ## Polygon — Karen Han Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/23/18627608/booksmart-review-olivia-wilde-beanie-feldstein-kaitlyn-dever/) ## Consequence Rating B+. 20 May 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://consequence.net/2019/05/film-review-booksmart/) ## The Ringer — Manuela Lazic Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.theringer.com/2019/05/23/movies/booksmart-review-olivia-wilde-beanie-feldstein-caitlyn-dever-high-school-comedy) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson 24 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/booksmart-2019-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## HeyUGuys — Luke Walpole 25 May 2019. 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 the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/booksmart-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/booksmart.md