15 Best Movies Of 2019 (So Far)

2. Booksmart

Booksmart Kaitlyn Dever Beanie Feldstein
United Artists

Completing the trifecta of game-changing coming-of-age movies, following Lady Bird and Eighth Grade, Booksmart is perhaps the perfect blend of both of their styles. Like those films, Olivia Wilde’s debut retains the raw authenticity that puts other flicks in the sub-genre to shame, while still delivering a conventional comedy that has mass appeal, aesthetically skewing closer to Superbad than Wilde’s indie roots.

Leads Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein bounce off each other brilliantly, both displaying great comedic timing but also the huge emotional range required for the more dramatic sequences. The relationship between their characters feels so truthful, and it’s refreshing to see a friendship like this played out without the underlying bitchiness that Hollywood loves to focus on.

It’s also far weirder than you’d expect as well, with one Barbie-related set-piece acting as a hilarious highlight.

[JB]

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WhatCulture's former COO, veteran writer and editor.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.