Review of Heathers (1989) by Jonny P — 14 Dec 2016

"Heathers" is a fascinating high school story spoiled by an endless stream of crude remarks and volatile language. This 1980's attempt at being edgy goes too far, even by modern standards.

The entire movie feels like an internal conflict as it fails to blend comedy with drama, realism with far-fetched circumstances, and humor with situations that should not be humorous. It is a shame because the film contains some important themes about suicide, bullying, and guilt, but the misplaced levity of the script prevents it from being taken seriously while the serious subject matter does not align with the comedic tone.

The end result is an uncomfortable 100 minutes of trying to absorb the morals in spite of the script. Though we are used to seeing the critics hate blockbusters that make a killing at the box office, this film did the opposite when it failed at the box office even though the critics loved it.

I blame its box office failure on its lack of a target audience as the synopsis does not have much appeal for your average adult but the R-rating would prevent most high schoolers from gaining admission (and thank goodness for the rating because this film is definitely not high school appropriate).

It did gain enough attention to develop a cult following as well as thrusting Winona Ryder and Christian Slater into the limelight. "Heathers" lacks everything that I love about a drama while also lacking everything that I look for in a comedy.

The amount of unnecessary crude language is offensive and should be saved for period dramas that require the language to bring the setting to life. Meanwhile, it lacks the jokes and inherently comedic situations that make a comedy entertaining.

Don't waste your time on this one. I wish that I hadn't.