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Heathers
By Maria Llull,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
After Columbine, this dark comedy isn't as funny.

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Heathers
Community Reviews
Based on 29 parent reviews
BEST MOVIE!!
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Educated and mature pre teens (SPOILER ALERT)
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What's the Story?
The HEATHERS, three girls with the same name(Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, and Kim Walker), run things from the top of the social food chain at Westburg High. Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder), who feels left out of the popular crowd, meets a witty rebel who quickly steals her heart named J.D. (Christian Slater). J.D. supports her hatred of the Heathers and joins her in a vindictive practical joke on the top Heather. But the joke is for keeps when Heather drinks J.D.'s "hangover cure" made of deadly cleaning fluid. A shocked Veronica decides to help J.D. cover up the murder by making it look like suicide. A series of copycat suicides quickly envelops Westburg High. The phenomenon takes on a bizarre life of its own as the student body, faculty, and parents all react to the macabre events in their own clueless and dysfunctional way. Meanwhile, Veronica must admit to herself that J.D. is even more of a monster than the Heathers. Can she foil his plot to administer a student body-wide suicide pact?
Is It Any Good?
The odd and often uncomfortable world of teen peer pressure is no stranger to any of us, and this dark comedy zooms unhesitatingly into this pressure cooker. It dishes up some grotesque stereotypes, and tosses them into a cleverly campy scenario that threatens the lives of the entire student body of Westburg High.
Heathers is a well-acted movie with many memorable lines. It's become a classic of the teenage macabre genre, and with good reason. Older teens and adults will find that there's much dark delight to be found in its silly, biting twist on teen life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about popularity, suicide, depression, and any number of hot-button teen subjects. High school is a high-anxiety microcosm of what awaits teenagers post-graduation. How do you deal with pressure successfully? How do you learn to make positive decisions?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 31, 1989
- On DVD or streaming: September 25, 2001
- Cast: Christian Slater , Shannen Doherty , Winona Ryder
- Director: Michael Lehmann
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 103 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: adult themes
- Last updated: June 8, 2023
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