PARK CITY – Adolescent angst is evergreen. Somewhere in the world, a teenager is trying to grow into their body, learn how to appear less awkward in social situations, and find themselves as the hormones swirl. And often they have a trusted friend or two they lean on, as the tiniest drama moments can seem catastrophic for their future life choices. And, as most adults have learned, those bonds in primary school don’t always last. That is the crux of Molly Manners’ somewhat predictable but genuinely entertaining “Extra Geography,” a world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
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Set a few decades ago, Flic (Marni Duggan) and Minna (Galaxie Clear) are BFF’s at an English boarding school primarily focused on getting into the best University possible, more than anything else. There are no phones to distract them. There is barely a television in sight. They have their girls’ lacrosse team, their books, disgust with boys, and an existential question: what will their summer project be? A challenge to get them through the summer term, they eventually agree to compete for the affections of their quiet and quaint geography teacher, Miss Delavigne (Alice Engert, almost wonderfully unrecognizable). As the weeks progress, their methods become more intrusive, but then an unexpected opportunity distracts them: the school’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Oh, and, for the first time, it’s a co-ed production with the nearby boys’ academy. To these girls, that’s close to scandalous.
When Galaxie lands a key role as the Queen of the Fairies, and Marni is relegated to playing a tree stump despite a superior audition, the tone between the two shifts. Things become even more strained when Galaxie seems to enjoy the affections of her male co-star. Marni eventually gets the pair back on their summer mission, but her frustration over Galaxie’s new direction pushes the game to competitive extremes.
Based on a short story by Rose Tremain, “Extra Geography’s” strengths lie in the breakout performances from Duggan and Clear, who were 18 and 17 years old, respectively, at the time, and consistently terrific dialogue from “Succession” veteran Miriam Battye, who wrote the screenplay. Manners also deserves praise for sensitively depicting the romantic aspects of the girls’ bond. It may be a more platonic relationship for one of the two, but no matter what happens in the long run, there is genuine affection between them.
While Flic and Minna aren’t Mean Girls, per se (it’s unclear if there is a court of queen bees in the school at all), they masterfully use their friendship to intimidate their classmates. Much to the dismay of Phoebe (a delightful Aoife Riddell), who wants nothing more than to be a welcome third in their posse. These interactions are often some of the funniest moments in the movie.
Overall, Manners’ feature debut is perfectly polished. Duggan and Clear are distinct talents who scream future stars (or, at worst, working talents for years to come). But as insightful as it all is as a portrait of those bumpy teenage years for young women, it does all feel a bit too familiar. Maybe even a little too safe and predictable. But for some girl (or boy), “Extra” will leave a vivid impression. And for that audience, maybe that’s all that matters. [B-/C+]

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