★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, Booksmart, perfectly captures high-school nostalgia. Though the story is nothing new (yes, everyone knows Superbad), her unique style combined with a talented cast makes for a much more modern and generally appealing version of this plot. Where past versions of this film typically feature the same, unpopular-and-aspiring-to-date-the-hot-girl male lead, Booksmart instead chooses to focus on a more diverse ensemble of characters whose identities exist beyond the rigid tropes typical of coming of age films. The result is something realistic and fresh. Something fun.

Part of this is thanks to the cast. Lead by Kaitlyn Dever (Amy) and Beanie Feldstein (Molly), everyone in this film genuinely feels like they’ve just spent the last four years of their lives unwillingly intertwined. This is in part due to real-life friendships translating on screen but it’s also because the entire cast is just so good. The script they’re working with allows them the freedom to really bring the characters to life and have them exist as real people.

If you’ve ever listened to Ribs by Lorde and felt a glow of nostalgia in your heart, this is the film version of that feeling. It’s as if you’re re-watching a night from high-school where everything is still ahead of you and the promise of a shiny future hasn’t been dulled.