New teen comedy Booksmart hailed as 'Superbad, but better'

Beanie Feldstein, left, and Kaitlyn Dever in a scene from Booksmart, directed by Olivia Wilde. Photo / Francois Duhamel, Annapurna Pictures via AP

A brand-new teen comedy is winning praise over in the US, with one critic calling it a new "Superbad ... but better".

Booksmart is the directorial debut of actress Olivia Wilde, who starred in Drinking Buddies, Her, and Tron Legacy. It follows two graduating high school seniors, Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein), who are academically-focused best friends.

They set out to finally break the rules and have a huge night out on their last day of class after they realise that their hard-partying classmates, who they'd written off as failures, are as academically successful as they are - thus shattering the stereotype they'd believed until then.

The film, which opened in the US last weekend, has won unanimous critical acclaim, with critics praising its fast-paced humour, riotous gags, and progressive spin on the teen movie genre. It's earned comparisons to the aforementioned Superbad, as well as recent critical hits such as Lady Bird and The Edge of Seventeen.

Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever in Booksmart. Photo / Francois Duhamel, Annapurna Pictures

Variety's Peter Debruge called Booksmart an "uproarious nerds'-night-out comedy": "Not since Superbad has a high school comedy so perfectly nailed how exhilarating it feels to act out at that age," he wrote.

Vulture's Emily Yoshida called the film a "goddamn delight".

"Booksmart manages to be inclusive and progressive, without being precious about anything or sacrificing an ounce of humour," she wrote. "It feels at once like a huge moment for the teen movie genre, and also effortless, effortless enough to make one wonder what took so long."

Vox's Alissa Wilkinson said Booksmart was "like Superbad, but with girls, and better".

"Booksmart gives off especially distinct Superbad vibes, both in story structure and its general theme of growing up," she wrote. "Yet in Wilde's hands and with a screenplay penned by four women, Booksmart feels like an evolution for the genre."

Booksmart marks the directorial debut of actress/producer Olivia Wilde. Photo / AP

"Booksmart is sharp but not mean, warm without feeling too soft or timid," wrote A. O. Scott for The New York Times. "Wilde and the screenwriters ... don't so much reinvent the formula as refresh it, infusing some familiar situations with an exuberant, generous, matter-of-factly feminist sensibility."

The AV Club's Katie Rife praised the performances of the leading duo. "Feldstein is a brilliant comedic performer whose expressive face and explosive energy have the power to make any scene funnier," she wrote. "Dever gives a quieter, but equally expressive, performance, before taking the spotlight in the film's comedic centerpiece."

Booksmart currently has a 97 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It will be released in New Zealand cinemas on July 11.