Featured Audience Ratings

• Matthew Samuel M

  
  It's dark, but well made. I couldn't take my eyes off of Winona Ryder who gives a bravura performance. The film has its charm, despite its violence.

• Spencer S

  
  A grotesque and very dark comedy, Heathers is a sadistically sweet encounter that pushes the envelope for what a conventional high school film can accomplish. Besides being caustically dark, it's actually quite charming and eccentric in places. The film is clearly a reckoning on… More
  A grotesque and very dark comedy, Heathers is a sadistically sweet encounter that pushes the envelope for what a conventional high school film can accomplish. Besides being caustically dark, it's actually quite charming and eccentric in places. The film is clearly a reckoning on the role of popular crowds in high schools and the how abysmal the rest of the student population's lives truly are. Playing up the concept of mass suicides, pop music, and adult's view of Generation X in the late days of the eighties, Heathers is a comedy as well as commentary on life as a teenager. Before all else I have to point out how cheery and saccharine most of this looks. Its' sets and costuming are all multi-colored and bright as those of The Wizard of Oz. The Heathers are each in high fashion outfits most of the time, or else celebrating their school spirit with aplomb. Our leads are two sensationally talented people in Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. Though much of the film is unbelievable in its acceptance of such horrifying events such as gay love affairs gone suicide pact etc., it has a happiness and consideration for the audience's intelligence that it is so daringly different. Ryder and Slater have some intense, and yet juvenile, chemistry between them. Slater certainly gives the best and most potent performance as a marginalized youth hinting at the snake-like charm right under the surface. While it's quite funny, the tone shifts about half-way through the film. It keeps its stylization of lacing queer images, music, and dialogue with dark humor, but delves darker and deeper as Slater's character's motivation becomes clear. The love story of course suffers; it becomes much more about social privilege and the problems with how social structures in high school are set up, leading to a film revolving around a serial killer. Truly, it's a pleasant film, and a nearly iconic one at that, but the decision to add depth was such a surprise that it was off-putting. It becomes much more disturbing, but lacks the eccentric charm it starts off with. For that I find fault, but otherwise it was interesting and fresh.

• Daniel P

  
  In reviewing this film, I'm reminded of what Michael Haneke said of his own Funny Games: people watch this film for as long as they need to. In the middle somewhere, it gets seriously uncomfortable, and suffice to say that it was probably a lot funnier before the Columbine… More
  In reviewing this film, I'm reminded of what Michael Haneke said of his own Funny Games: people watch this film for as long as they need to. In the middle somewhere, it gets seriously uncomfortable, and suffice to say that it was probably a lot funnier before the Columbine shootings. Before you hit whatever your breaking point may be, though, you'll experience one of the most cynical comedies ever made, and you'll recognize elements of your own high school experience, distorted and twisted and with the teenage drama hilariously cranked to eleven. Had the actors been hammy, this film would have completely missed the mark, but by playing it straight, they make the story come across as something true to life, and better - worse - something reasonable. A film I missed when I was young, but dated as it may be it's still valuable as a groundbreaker. Masterfully dark comedy - definitely take a look.

• Alice S

  
  Chockful of abominable one-liners ("Why are you pulling my dick?") with twisted-sexy performances by Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. Nevertheless, the satire is unclear. It partly satirizes "the tragedy boner" as coined by Diablo Cody in "Jennifer's… More
  Chockful of abominable one-liners ("Why are you pulling my dick?") with twisted-sexy performances by Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. Nevertheless, the satire is unclear. It partly satirizes "the tragedy boner" as coined by Diablo Cody in "Jennifer's Body," but then JD's Project Mayhem loses steam when his feelings for Veronica get in the way. He doesn't seem to have a motor, unlike other conscionable murder stories like "True Romance" or "Natural Born Killers." Thus, at the end when Veronica wins out and befriends the fat girl, the movie dissolves into a mere morality tale.

• Red L

  
  I'm not keen on movies where the solutions to Veronica and J.S.'s problems involves killing someone. So yes, show that high school politics are despicable, but high school killings is not entertainment.

• Mike S

  
  Winona Ryder plays Veronica Sawyer, a sharp-witted high school girl who is getting tired of her socialite friends and their diabolical schemes. She meets a rebellious boy named J.D. (an exceptionally young Christian Slater), who is fast to win her heart over with his charming,… More
  Winona Ryder plays Veronica Sawyer, a sharp-witted high school girl who is getting tired of her socialite friends and their diabolical schemes. She meets a rebellious boy named J.D. (an exceptionally young Christian Slater), who is fast to win her heart over with his charming, smooth-talking ways. What starts out pretty innocently, however, takes a more grave and serious turn as J.D. proves even more manipulative than Veronica's upper class friends. Pushing her into the shadows, they go from one bad "accident" to another, with consequences to follow. Brilliantly penned by Daniel Waters and with great personal direction from Michael Lehmann, this is anything but your ordinary teen movie arrangement. Sort of like <i>Bonnie and Clyde</i> meets <i>Mean Girls</i>, but with an even darker, pulpier edge. All the while though, it's outrageously funny; bombarding us with hilariously written lines from left to right. You'll often catch yourself laughing when you by ethic soundness shouldn't, but you just can't help yourself. Every actor present does an amazing job with their characters. There's Shannon Doherty, Lisanne Falk and Kim Walker as the three Heathers. But above all I must compliment the phenomenal leads, Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, whose chemistry and spot-on interplay is nothing short of wonderful. My only real beef with this film concerns the second-rate soundtrack (or rather to say, lack thereof). There was such an infinity of great songs to pick from in the 80's, yet it chooses to go with those cheesy "keyboard" sounds that you'd find in any low-budget TV show from the time. Other than that though, this is a wickedly entertaining dark comedy, in the same league of excellence as <i>Fast Times at Ridgemont High</i> and Amy Heckerling's <i>Clueless</i>. Or to use a more contemporary equivalent: <i>Easy A</i> with Emma Stone. Side-splitting, brainy and with a fantastic, multi-layered script, <i>Heathers</i> is a laugh riot I won't soon forget.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Best friends, social trends and occasional murder."</i> A girl who half-heartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics. <center><font size=+2… More
  <i>"Best friends, social trends and occasional murder."</i> A girl who half-heartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> This is a breathless, stylish, shocking movie, a black halfway-house between the John Hughes masterpieces prior to it and their day-glo bubblegum postmodern successors (viz. Clueless and Mean Girls). Winona Ryder's Veronica struggles as a half-hearted friend of the ruling high school social class, a group of three girls all named Heather. Exciting alternatives present themselves when Christian Slater's J.D. (James Dean?) catches her affections and fires her mind. It's debatable whether J.D. actually exists at all, given that the film is narrated by Veronica and we see her writing in a diary - he could be a manifestation of her Nietzchean yang, devilishly tempting. I think the whole film has a magic-realist quality to it though and its too much work to try and isolate particular metaphors. What Michael Lehmann has done very well though (along with Ryder, who is superb) is to chart a course through the film in which individuals are presented as characters rather than stereotypes and so their dilemmas and actions are not easily categorisable. Consequently, the film is very much alive, exciting and funny and its arguments (although sometimes a little buried in the patois of the script, I felt) seem fresh. For all the humour it's often black and violent, although it's never unnecessary. Though dated, it's not particularly interested in it's detail so it wears well. Best of all are the cover versions of songs topping and tailing the film during the title sequences which really sum up the project - old tunes but in thoughtful arrangements. A noteworthy film - and one to watch shotgun with Grosse Point Blank.

• Dan S

  
  A dark, disturbing little movie about a social outcast (Christian Slater) who charms a girl in the in-crowd (Winona Ryder) into raising hell at their high school. After the Columbine High School shooting, this movie's sick sense of humor does not translate nearly as well as it… More
  A dark, disturbing little movie about a social outcast (Christian Slater) who charms a girl in the in-crowd (Winona Ryder) into raising hell at their high school. After the Columbine High School shooting, this movie's sick sense of humor does not translate nearly as well as it probably did before this event. However, it still has a lot going for it, notably a deliciously sharp screenplay, good performances from its leads, and a memorable conclusion. The film's dissection of cliques and stereotypes is very well played, and the dialogue continually jumps right off the pages. A fine film about high school and its social makeup, and how sometimes the quiet ones possess the most dangerous thoughts that turn into violent actions.

• Thomas B

  
  Funny, twisted, a little bit crazy. And Christian Slater is possibly the coolest guy in history. For a while there. Full review later.

• Melvin W

  
  Veronica Sawyer: It's one thing to want someone out of your life, but it's another thing to serve them a wake-up cup full of liquid drainer.  "Best friends, social trends and occasional murder." If you're a fan of black comedies this one is for you.… More
  Veronica Sawyer: It's one thing to want someone out of your life, but it's another thing to serve them a wake-up cup full of liquid drainer.  "Best friends, social trends and occasional murder." If you're a fan of black comedies this one is for you. It's dark, mean, twisted, and fucked up like a good black comedy should be. This is a teen comedy unlike any other teen comedy. This isn't about getting laid or smoking pot. It's so atypical even for today's standards. Actually I couldn't see a film like this even being made today. We tend to be a little hesitant about material like this now. Post-Columbine, I don't think this shit would have flown, but back in the eighties; this had to be funny in a way no other movie had ever been. Heathers is the name of the "in" clique of girls at a small high school in Ohio. Three of the four girls are named Heather, all of which are bitches; the fourth is Veronica, and she seems to have a conscious to deal with. Veronica meets and begins dating a new kid, James, who shows her a new way to deal with the people who make her life and other kids lives miserable.  I'm a huge fan of dark comedies, and typically the darker they are, the more I love them. Heathers is extremely dark. It deals with teen suicide, teen murder, schools being blown up, and other tidbits of high school life that are dark, but don't compare to the three previous listed. The material is handled with such care and intelligence. The film is very smart, with great dialogue and terrific characters. This may be my favorite performance ever from Winona Ryder. As for Christian Slater, he's good, but not quite as good as he was in another great dark comedy, Very Bad Things. You should know before hand if you'll be able to laugh at this movie. Times have changed now and we're extremely cautious about being politically correct when it comes to the situations explored in Heathers. So if the themes bother you, I wouldn't recommend it. But if you can handle it, it's one of those films that's a must see.

• Daniel M

  
  When it comes to American high school films, the 1980s belonged to John Hughes. Through Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Hughes perfected a sweet, light-hearted and nostalgic look at adolescence which touched the hearts of a generation. But like… More
  When it comes to American high school films, the 1980s belonged to John Hughes. Through Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Hughes perfected a sweet, light-hearted and nostalgic look at adolescence which touched the hearts of a generation. But like many trendsetters before him, it wasn't long before the master's work was widely imitated and devalued until it became an out-of-touch caricature. Such efforts were often enjoyable, but we never believed that we were seeing real teenagers on screen - and in the case of Hughes' later works, that was very often true. In the midst of all this pastel-shaded gaiety, Heathers comes at you like a fizzling flask of vitriol, burning through those pleasant but deceptive veils to reveal the dark and bitchy underbelly of high school life. To this day it remains one of the darkest, funniest and edgiest comedies of the 1980s, which will make you howl with laughter even as you squirm in discomfort. While not an easy watch, it has lost none of its potency in 23 years, and is perhaps second only to Lindsay Anderson's If.... as the greatest high school film of all time. While the John Hughes stable of films were often accused of being conservative, Heathers' production history suggests a work of great artistic ambition. Daniel Waters wrote the script with the intention of Stanley Kubrick directing it - a huge ambition for a first-time screenwriter. Waters believed that Kubrick was the only director who could get away with a three-hour film, and the only person who could make the definitive high school film, to go with the definitive sci-fi film in 2001. First-time director Michael Lehmann, who had made a splash on the cult circuit with his short film Beaver Gets A Boner, got the gig of directing Heathers through his friendship with producer Denise di Novi. Di Novi was hot property in Hollywood in the late-1980s, having worked with Tim Burton on his hit comedy Beetlejuice, starring Winona Ryder. Ryder was offered the part after the success of Beetlejuice, proclaiming it to be the best script she had ever read. The rest, as they say, is history. The look of Heathers is a very conscious departure from the John Hughes stable. The opening scenes, where the Heathers and Veronica are introduced, are a clear parody of Hughes, with bright and welcoming pastel shades which become darker as things move on. There is a dreamy feel to the opening act with soft focus around the edges of the screen, with Lehmann seeking to achieve the same hypnotic, discomforting effect that David Lynch did in Blue Velvet. Little by little the colours grow harsher and darker, culminating in a dream sequence which rivals Suspiria in its luridness; the prominent use of red and Ryder's passing resemblance to Jessica Harper put these sections aesthetically close to Dario Argento. The visuals of Heathers play an important part in the film's dismantling of preconceptions that high school is the happiest time of your life. It depicts the various cliques at Westerburg High (the jocks, the nerds and of course the Heathers) with the perfect balance of the real and the extreme. Even if the bullies or the bitches we encountered weren't quite so hideous or self-absorbed, there is more than enough truth in their characterisations to make us shudder and recoil. The uptight, immaculate look of the Heathers perfectly encapsulates all those teenage girls who played on the affections and fears of others to hide their own insecurities. The script of Heathers is nothing short of terrific, with scenes and sequences that are as good, if not slightly better, than anything Quentin Tarantino was turning out in the same period. Many of its one-liners have entered into cinema history, such as Heather Chandler's sarcastic retort, "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw", when Veronica suggests they hang out with different kinds of people. Some of the lines are hilariously surreal, like Ram's father exclaiming "I love my dead gay son" as Ram lies in an open coffin in his American football kit. But others are so scabrous that they make even hardened pros wince - for instance, JD's comment that "Kurt and Ram had nothing left to offer the school except for date rapes and AIDS jokes." The best lines in Heathers are those which tap right into the teenage angst and low self-esteem of the characters. Early on in the film, the Heathers are chatting in the girls' toilets. Heather Duke, who suffers from bulimia, is teased by the girls with phrases like "don't you feel the urge to purge?" When she finally gives in and starts throwing her guts up, Heather Chandler rolls her eyes and remarks dismissively: "bulimia is so 1987". Later on in the film, Veronica writes a long passage in her diary which begins "My teen angst bullshit has a body count" and concludes: "Are we going to prom or to hell?". Lines like these are stupendously inventive in conveying the pressures of high school and the hypocrisies of the in-crowd. The film is utterly merciless towards its characters and the audience. Every time you think the film has reached its limits, and drawn a line in the sand, it takes a full stride over that line and pulls you over head first. It doesn't take long to adjust to the tone of Heathers in and of itself, but the jokes become darker and more inventive with every turn. One of the best examples of this comes when JD and Veronica are slumped in the car having just killed Kurt and Ram. Veronica takes the cigarette lighter and applies it to her hand in self-flagellation; JD stops her, before leaning over to light his cigarette from her smouldering palm. Just as Monty Python's Life of Brian is a film about blasphemy rather than a blasphemous film, so Heathers is a film which mocks the media presentation of teenage suicide rather than teenage suicide itself. It handles the subject with a ruthless intelligence, showing how the act of suicide can produce bizarre psychological reactions, turning enemies into martyrs and uniting completely different kinds of people. It also shows how parents and the media approach the issue in a way which is ultimately irrelevant or ineffective to the needs of the children. In its handling of a difficult and complex subject matter in a way which is both visceral and stimulating, Heathers is on a par with We Need To Talk About Kevin - and on that front, there is no higher praise. Although it seems odd to say it, Heathers comes across as quite a moral film. The film entertains the fantasy of all frustrated or bullied teenagers, namely wishing death upon their enemies, and shows the central character coming through triumphant by being true to herself and asserting her own way of treating people. It is a coming-of-age film insofar as Veronica endures by reaching a point of maturity, where she need no longer entertain such evil desires. From this perspective, JD is the physicalisation of Veronica's desires or temptations. He acts like the little devil on her shoulder who is at once repulsive and irresistible. JD gives her what she wants in terms of affection and satisfaction, but at the cost of losing control of her own destiny, and Veronica's eventual defeat of JD is her recognition that she doesn't have to be a bitch or a psycho to survive in life. There is a comparison with Let The Right One In in how the film uses an outsider character to represent the burgeoning, adolescent aggression of the characters, with similarly destructive results. There has been some debate over the ending of Heathers since the film was first released. The ending Lehmann originally envisioned involved Veronica blowing up the entire school and the cast re-uniting in heaven at a massive prom. In hindsight this would have been a little fanciful, treading too close to the 'Christmas in Heaven' sequence from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. The ending as it stands is perfect, completing Veronica's defeat of both her demons and the Heathers, ushering in a new phase of her life. Heathers is a terrifically dark comedy which remains unrivalled in the pantheon of American high school films. The performances are first-class, with Winona Ryder in terrific form as Veronica and Christian Slater channelling Jack Nicholson from The Witches of Eastwick. Their great work is complimented with Waters' outstanding script and Lehmann's sharp direction, all of which conspires to create a true, dark-hearted masterpiece. One thing is for certain - after seeing Heathers, you'll never look at high school the same way again.

• Sam B

  
  It both reaffirms my belief that movies portraying teenagers made in past decades will never be as relatable or timeless for younger generations as many seem to believe, and also that there is still invaluable information to be gained from the 80s pioneering excursions into… More
  It both reaffirms my belief that movies portraying teenagers made in past decades will never be as relatable or timeless for younger generations as many seem to believe, and also that there is still invaluable information to be gained from the 80s pioneering excursions into high-school based coming-of-age stories. Heathers is funny, dark, honest, and features some fantastic performances from Christian Slater and, of course, Winona Ryder (at her very best).

• Lewis C

  
  "Dear diary, my teen angst bullsh*t has a body count." Heathers is a wicked teenage black comedy starring a smokin' hot young Wynona Rider and an unhinged, charismatic Christian Slater. I have to say I enjoyed the first half more than the second, when the tone shifts… More
  "Dear diary, my teen angst bullsh*t has a body count." Heathers is a wicked teenage black comedy starring a smokin' hot young Wynona Rider and an unhinged, charismatic Christian Slater. I have to say I enjoyed the first half more than the second, when the tone shifts to more serious territory, but overall, this was a pretty good movie and a whole 'nother animal compared to a lot of the other popular 80's high school movies.

• Unknown H

  
  One of the old school classics this movie predates both the downfall of Ryder and Slater. Original, hilarious and grimly deep, Heathers seeks to find the core of popularity and the cost at which some would go to not only get it, but to take it away from others. A truly intelligent… More
  One of the old school classics this movie predates both the downfall of Ryder and Slater. Original, hilarious and grimly deep, Heathers seeks to find the core of popularity and the cost at which some would go to not only get it, but to take it away from others. A truly intelligent movie mostly void of the usual teenage narrative, this is one of my faves within the genre.

• Jim H

  
  A member of a popular high school clique teams up with her new boyfriend to murder her classmates. I understand that this film was made in the 80s, well before Columbine and Virginia Tech, but watching it now, I can't help but be uncomfortable with the film's dark premise.… More
  A member of a popular high school clique teams up with her new boyfriend to murder her classmates. I understand that this film was made in the 80s, well before Columbine and Virginia Tech, but watching it now, I can't help but be uncomfortable with the film's dark premise. The idea of dead classmates and mass murder by blowing up the school are now dark realities, and I think the film couldn't use these same themes for comedic fodder now. Even if school violence was not a part of our culture lexicon, I still don't see the film's point of view. What is it satirizing? What is being sent up for ridicule? Pretension? Cliqueishness? I also found the dialogue stilted. Veronica even directly refers to herself as being a member of "the popular clique," a line that is nothing but expository, and Kim Walker's delivery of mawkishly threatening lines comes off as juvenile. Overall, I think this film's time has passed.

• Bethany M

  
  A really great 80's film. Throughly enjoyed it. Not just your average chick flick. A must see!

• Chris W

  
  This film is so close to getting an A- that it ain't even funny. This is a terrific black comedy/teen film from the 80s. If Mean Girls were a little bit dated, and more hardcore, then it would look basically like this film. The first half is wonderfully darkly comedic and… More
  This film is so close to getting an A- that it ain't even funny. This is a terrific black comedy/teen film from the 80s. If Mean Girls were a little bit dated, and more hardcore, then it would look basically like this film. The first half is wonderfully darkly comedic and satiric, and, while that does carry over into the second half, the stakes get raised, but ultimately the film ends a bit weaker than the lead up to it would suggest. That's pretty much the only complaint I have, and why it's not an A-. Good cast, decent performances, and a fun take on the "bitchy high school clique" scenario, all add up to make this a fun movie worth seeing. Too bad it starts to run out of steam, but don't let that stop you from checking it out.

• AJ V

  
  My absolute favourite teen black comedy movie of all time! The story is fantastic, dramatic and comedic, the actors are perfect, especially Slater, who I fell in love with because of this movie, and for some reason this movie cheers me up when I'm feeling down. It's so… More
  My absolute favourite teen black comedy movie of all time! The story is fantastic, dramatic and comedic, the actors are perfect, especially Slater, who I fell in love with because of this movie, and for some reason this movie cheers me up when I'm feeling down. It's so hilariously awesome, I love it, and I highly recommend it.

• Dean !

  
  A decent black comedy about the social circles at high school. No doubt inspired many since along the lines of Mean girls etc. Has some very funny moments but the 2nd half of the film wasn't as good or intense as the first. Looking a bit dated now.

• xGary X

  
  Winona Ryder is part of the most popular and bitchy clique in Westerberg High School, until she meets charismatic psycho Christian Slater who inspires her "teen angst bullshit" to have a bodycount. By the end of the 1980s, there began a severe backlash against the empty,… More
  Winona Ryder is part of the most popular and bitchy clique in Westerberg High School, until she meets charismatic psycho Christian Slater who inspires her "teen angst bullshit" to have a bodycount. By the end of the 1980s, there began a severe backlash against the empty, self-centred attitude of that particular decade spearheaded by bands such as Nirvana and Public Enemy and culminating in Douglas Coupland's Generation X, which pronounced a new cynicism for a society built on self serving greed and obsession with vacuous superficiality. Heathers was very much part of this movement and was like a breath of fresh air upon its release. A parody of 80s teen movies and a biting social satire on society's obsession with looks and popularity, it contained a new kind of well observed and dark wit missing from mainstream comedy at the time. Slater does his best Jack Nicholson impersonation as the murderous High School rebel and Winona Ryder displays her usual left field quirkiness that's so appealing, but the real star is the dialogue that contains a host of brilliantly quotable lines. Unfortunately it loses momentum towards the end as the script tries to tie up the plot in an unconvincing finale and the laughs get fewer and farther between, but it's also a cinematic time capsule of an important shift in the attitudes of the popular culture of the time. And the first hour is still pure genius!

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