The Wall_Spring 2023_Issue 9

Zara Quazi (she/her), S10, reviews the 80s cult classic film ‘Heathers.’ Spoilers ahead!

On the surface, this may seem

at these characters would bring laughter to anybody who has interacted with prejudiced men with massive egos. The harmful effects of peer pressure are also discussed, almost leading to the death of one of the characters who, after all her friends drop dead, believes it is ‘cool’ to be dead. Misogyny is also heavily discussed with the three main Heathers being portrayed as young women who will do anything to survive as a girl in a man’s world.The film also criticises the romanticisation of toxic relationships by making the main relationship (Veronica and JD) seem repulsive and odd.These themes initially detracted the target audience as the parents of teens believed that they were too dark and that their children should be absorbing more positive and generic John Hughes movies. extravagant songs, it is worth a watch, alongside a cringey spinoff that we shall not name. Overall, Heathers is arguably the best teen film ever made. It would be almost impossible to remake today due to its dark and shocking subject matter. In fact, it is surprising that it was made in 1989, or at all. I could rant for pages about the amazing visuals and the fact that most of the teenagers in it (to the horror of some Netflix dramas) are played by and dress like actual teenagers. Its dark humour, blended with cynicism and sensitive subjects, still holds up today Since its release, the film has inspired the phenomenal musical ‘Heathers’, featuring BarrettWilbert Weed and Ryan McCartan (yes, the one from Disney Channel). From the tongue-in-cheek humour to the

and serves as a social commentary on status and power.This film is bound to resonate with everyone. If you like Heathers, you may enjoy other classic teen movies; Mean Girls, Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You,The Breakfast Club, Easy A, Grease are all fantastic options.

like a silly teen film about a cliched romance featuring cringe-inducing outfits that would make even Miranda Priestly (‘The DevilWears Prada’) gouge out her own eyeballs. Released in 1989, the film flopped at the box office, making only $177,247 on the opening weekend. Yet, since then, viewers have steadily increased and it is now considered a cult classic, as iconic as films like ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘Jawbreaker’. But should Heathers be crowned the all-time best teen film? Or should we throw it away alongside other 1980s paraphernalia likeVHS tapes and fluorescent legwarmers? Sawyer (played by the Queen of Halloween,Winona Ryder), a member of a popular group made up of three other beautiful and wealthy girls who go by the names of Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falke), Heather Duke (Shannon Doherty), and the group’s leader Heather Chandler (KimWalker).The trouble starts whenVeronica, growing bored of her friends, befriends the rebellious Jason Dean (Christian Slater) who has a taste for crimes that include murdering all her friends. The witty social commentary and beautiful cinematography is reason enough for everyone to watch this film. However, if you are not yet convinced, just consider some of the themes it explores, themes that seem particularly prophetic today.The message of anti-bigotry is overt throughout the film. After the homophobic football players are murdered, the public is left under the impression that they died, ironically, in a ‘gay suicide pact.’ Seeing the film poke fun ‘Heathers’ follows Veronica

Artwork: Maggie Conway-Hughes, S8

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