Review of Heathers (1989) by Brian S — 05 Jun 2016

Twenty-eight years after its theatrical release, Michael Lehmann's high school-set dark comedy Heathers has aged as well as the effectiveness of drain cleaner. With a vivid color palate, exceptional cinematography from Francis Kenny and a deadly satirical wit from screenwriter Daniel Waters, Lehmann pulls this together with direction that is funny, scary, surrealist and dramatic making Heathers an eclectic assortment of taste.

Featuring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater-the embodiment of the high school class system and the urge to break free-the two actors were made for these roles and perfectly portray Lehmann's tonal shifts in strides.

Looking back at the film and knowing what has come after, it is easy to see the apparent influence Heathers has had on the high school genre ranging from 1995s Clueless to 2004s Mean Girls all the way to television with FOX's 2015 show Scream Queens.

While homage has been done in other properties, nothing is quite like what we see in Heathers. It's violent, dark and has a cynical sense of humor that is rarely put this well together in a finished product that is as unshakable as those impressionable high school moments.