Extra Geography review: Hilariously relatable friendship comedy
I had heard nothing but praise for Extra Geography since its Sundance premiere in January, and I’m pleased to say that the film still exceeded my expectations.
Set in a girls’ boarding school in the late 90s/early 2000s, Molly Manners‘ film follows Flic (Marni Duggan) and Minna (Galaxie Clear), two best friends who are co-dependent and in sync in their movements, thoughts and intellectual ability. They want to become more worldly, wise and well-rounded before university – and be “as good at love as I am at maths” – so they decide to fall in love with the same person as their summer project.
As adults, we know that love cannot be forced and you either feel it or you don’t. But the teenage girls don’t know this and see it as an academic project – they read classic romance novels, perform external signs of being in love and keep asking each other if they feel it yet. Concurrently, they audition for the annual play, a joint effort with the boys’ school, and are set apart when Minna gets a main role and makes friends with her male co-stars.
Extra Geography is a hilarious, awkward, well-observed and stunningly accurate portrayal of two friends drifting apart. Between the play and the summer project, their friendship becomes imbalanced, their interests are no longer aligned and the cracks start to show. Over the course of the film, the differences eventually become insurmountable. It’s remarkable to see how much they change over the school year and how little things can eventually add up to a lot in a friendship.
The screenplay, based on a short story by Rose Tremain, is the film’s biggest strength. The girls are very upfront and speak with brutal honesty. It also captures the existential crises of love (and knowing whether you’re in or not), wanting to grow up and be good at everything, and not wanting to be left behind. As someone who went to an all-girls grammar school, I recognise a lot of these characters and themes.
The newcomers are brilliant at playing the subtle changes in their personalities and the friendship dynamic. Minna is the more confident and pretty one and therefore more in control of the friendship, with Flic falling in line and being a yes woman. As the cracks in their friendship start to show, Flic flourishes and comes into her own without the shadow of Minna holding her back. These dynamics are so juicy!
Extra Geography is a wonderful comedy that captures the awkward messiness of growing up and growing apart. This would be a great companion piece with Over/Under.
In cinemas from Friday 2nd October