Parents' Guide to

Heathers

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Confused, dark remake of teen angst movie isn't as good.

Heathers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 18+

Honestly don't bother

the musical was good and the movie was good but this just isn't good it takes most of what made Heathers Heathers and modernized it which just didn't work for the story
age 15+

Guys give it a chance

The new show is just as good as the movie if you give it a chance. (Don't show it to kids unless you've seen it first this is Heathers after all.) It has everything at great adaptation needs and so far I'm impressed.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (12 ):

Attempting to remake a cult classic is a dicey move -- and though this series has some interesting updates on the original, it's less appealing than the 1989 movie in pretty much every way. Heathers does get one thing right: It incorporates social media into the social dynamics of Westerberg, making the (very real) possibility of being humiliated in front of the whole world an integral part of the Heathers' bullying. Part of Heather Chandler's power comes from having 245,000 followers (some of them even bloggers in New York and Los Angeles, she sneers), which she turns into a bully pulpit to bend the other students to her will.

But a lot of time has passed since 1989, when Heathers (the movie) was like nothing else that had come before it. This series tiresomely calls out to the movie at every opportunity -- there are scrunchies and croquet mallets, a Snappy Snack Shack and Corn Nuts. But it's not enough, and worse, the series strains to be hip in a way that almost screams "middle-aged dudes trying to write for teens." When JD (who's no Christian Slater) meets Veronica, he says about her friends: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Yes, those are The Who lyrics from 1971. The made-up slang (the original movie was, of course, famous for making up its own "timeless" slang) hits an equally false note: "You can be such an Ugg boot latte," snaps Heather Chandler. It's no "Did you have a brain tumor for breakfast?" This series could be worse, but it could be much better, too, even if it weren't based on a beloved property.

TV Details

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