Directed by: Molly Manners
Written by: Rose Tremain, Miriam Battye
Starring: Marni Duggan, Galaxie Clear
Poignant, heartfelt, and low-key, Extra Geography is the new coming-of-age comedy drama directed by Molly Manners. Based on the Rose Tremain short story, we follow Flic (Marni Duggan) and Minna (Galaxie Clear) as they navigate their tumultuous time as boarding school students on the precipice of adulthood.
Initially traversing the school like they own the place, the pair set themselves the task of “falling in love” with the first person they lay eyes on (their geography teacher), Flic and Minna then begin to experience the anxiety-provoking yet inevitable growing pains that can only come from this period of life.
The chemistry between the two leads feels like a real friendship, and this film lives and dies on that connection. Flic and Minna have a banter reminiscent of that of Amy and Molly in Olivia Wilde’s 2019 film of the same genre, Booksmart (which is also great!). Their penchant for dramatic bleakness gets peppered with moments of ebullient joy that can only come from people of this age, and it gets beautifully rendered on screen.
“If you were happy it would probably mean you were thick”.
Laden with dry wit, Extra Geography‘s script immerses the audience in an authentic regaling of British teenage years, sans parents, where every step taken feels crucial. Whether it’s chasing boys or wearing makeup, it’s life or death, and that atmosphere of intensity for the characters plays out amongst the scenic beauty of the school and grounds.
It’s dipping into important topics such as orientation and gender roles but not in a way that smacks you over the head with the works of Jane Austen. Instead, the audience is treated maturely and asked to pay attention to the subtle manipulations we all experienced during puberty without even knowing it.
The jaunty classical soundtrack creates a nice synergy with the classic literature being referenced – it’s a perfect film for the bookish, especially with the story being divided up into chapters, catering for the Netflix crowds who gorged on the likes of Sex Education and Heartstopper. It slides easily into the same league as coming-of-age movies like the aforementioned Booksmart, or the excellent 2017 Lady Bird.
Just be ready to see a lot of tampons.
Extra Georgaphy is in UK cinemas on October 2nd, 2026.