Film
Heathers
- Director
- Michael Lehmann
- Certificate
- 15
- Running Time
- 107 mins
The dominant clique at Westerberg High School in Ohio is a triumvirate of bitchy, colour-coded Heathers who torment the other kids with their callous, game-playing. Comparatively sensitive Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) is an honorary Heather who comes to realise she hates these “Swatch bitches and Diet Coke heads.” Enter token loner JD (Christian Slater) who inveigles his way into Veronica’s affections and proposes wholesale sorority slaughter as a solution to the Heather problem. Way back in 1988, first-time director Michael Lehmann and scriptwriter Daniel Waters pulleed off an appealing, amusing and darkly satirical swipe at the teen comedy industry, bristling with taut dialogue and brilliant caricatures, which was to prove hugely influential and remains a must for those who enjoy watching revolting American teenagers being bumped off. There’s additional amusement to be had from observing how quickly ephemeral teen fashions and slang have changed.
It’s now been given the full 4K restoration treatment for this 30th anniversary reissue. Curiously, the film has also now been downgraded from an 18 to a 15 by the BBFC.
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
