Ever since I watched her navigate senior year alongside Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird two years ago, I’ve prayed for a teen comedy starring Beanie Feldstein in a role other than adorable BFF. Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, Booksmart, is that film. A few positive reviews have come out of South by Southwest, including comparisons to the canonical Superbad.
The trailer below opens with Feldstein (Molly) on her bedroom floor listening to a motivational message that ends with: “Look down at everyone who has ever doubted you. Fuck those losers. Fuck them in their stupid fucking faces,” which sets the tone for the plot. Molly and her best friend Amy (played by Kaitlyn Dever) decide to let loose in high school, after four years of working hard to get into good colleges. Despite their mutual fear of fun, they’re inspired to get over their anxieties and party like their classmates, one of whom manages to give good hand jobs while also getting high SAT scores.
Molly and Amy make for a well-dressed duo who decorate their cars and rooms with feminist iconography and have basic teen desires. Basically, this looks like a fun nerds night out, 2019 edition. The movie hits theaters May 24.