Review of Heathers (1989) by Ethan B — 19 Nov 2014

At first glance, this surreal dark comedy may be too weird. However, you have to understand what it's trying to do. It's not for everyone, but Heathers is an engaging and honest commentary on how society eats up tragedy, which creates a chain reaction that sends others searching for that same attention. It shows that suicide may not always be an escape from life, but a longing for love and appreciation. While criticizing our culture, it also sympathizes with adolescents who are constantly lost and confused. It poses the food for thought that we vicariously kill each other.

The script isn't perfect, but the narrative is close to it. I love films where you never know where they're going. And this one is far from predictable. The character study on Veronica (Winona Rider) is fun to watch within itself. She goes from thinking she gets it to actually getting it--and it's convincing the whole way through.

My greatest wish of this film is that the chemistry between Slater and Rider had been better. Much of the time it's unbelievable and it hinders the effectiveness of their eventual fallout.

Like I said, this movie isn't for everyone. It's very weird and if you're looking for a typical black comedy, this isn't it. This aims a bit higher than just pure entertainment. It's surreality can push it into seemingly inhuman territory, but Heathers is far from it.

Twizard Rating: 85.