Parents' Guide to

Heathers

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

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

TV Paramount Network Comedy 2018
Heathers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

IWatchMoviesSomtimes
IWatchMoviesSomtimes Adult
June 11, 2019
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
Muties Twin B.
Muties Twin B. Adult
March 18, 2018
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.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on the 1989 film of the same name, HEATHERS centers around Veronica Sawyer (Grace Victoria Cox), a high school misfit who struggles to connect with her peers and withstand the slings and arrows of her group of super-popular "friends": quippy genderqueer Heather Duke (Brendan Scannell), meek Heather McNamara (Jasmine Mathews), and queen-bee bully Heather Chandler (Melanie Field). Things were bad enough at school when the Heathers liked Veronica. But when she accidentally gets on Heather Chandler's bad side, Veronica faces crushing social media humiliation. That is, until she meets mysterious transfer student JD (James Scully), who has a dangerous plan for Westerberg and its students that makes Veronica's former angst seem like very small potatoes.

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stereotyping. What instances of stereotyping exist in Heathers? Do the characters reflect the groups you see among your peers? To what degree is stereotyping necessary for the comedy to be effective? Does stereotyping interfere with your connection to a character?

  • Families can also talk about why so many movies and TV shows are remakes or reboots of other shows or movies. What's the built-in appeal of a remake? Do you need to have seen the original to appreciate the remake? Have you seen the 1989 movie of the same name? How does this show compare?

  • Can you think of other high school dramas? Why are schools such popular settings? What dramatic or comedic possibilities do they hold? How does this high school-set drama stack up to others you have seen?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate