Heathers (1988) ****1/2
Heathers (1988) plays like a John Hughes movie with bite—a dark high school satire that still feels relevant 35 years later (and not just for high schoolers). Without Heathers there would be no Election (1999) (review), no Mean Girls (2004), probably no Kevin Smith.
While it's not showy, director Michael Lehmann and his design team infuse his debut film with a hyperreal style that has aged quite well. It's no surprise that Batman Returns (1992) (review) is my favorite Batman and superhero film, because it was written by this film's writer, Daniel Waters. Dialogue is Heathers' strong suit—honest, brutal, brilliant, hilarious, endlessly quotable—and the perfectly-cast leads (Wynona Ryder and Christian Slater, only a few films into their careers at this point), plus MVPs Shannen Doherty and Kim Walker, deliver it with aplomb.
All the themes of Heathers remain pertinent—bullying, suicide, sexual assault, homophobia, popularity, power struggles, abusive/manipulative (boy)friends, school violence—all within the context of a smart comedy (that even has a "happy" ending). A true cult classic, how very.
While it's not showy, director Michael Lehmann and his design team infuse his debut film with a hyperreal style that has aged quite well. It's no surprise that Batman Returns (1992) (review) is my favorite Batman and superhero film, because it was written by this film's writer, Daniel Waters. Dialogue is Heathers' strong suit—honest, brutal, brilliant, hilarious, endlessly quotable—and the perfectly-cast leads (Wynona Ryder and Christian Slater, only a few films into their careers at this point), plus MVPs Shannen Doherty and Kim Walker, deliver it with aplomb.
All the themes of Heathers remain pertinent—bullying, suicide, sexual assault, homophobia, popularity, power struggles, abusive/manipulative (boy)friends, school violence—all within the context of a smart comedy (that even has a "happy" ending). A true cult classic, how very.
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