Heathers VS Mean Girls: Which is the Better Teen Movie?

Are you a Plastic or a Heather? Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be pitting “Heathers” and “Mean Girls,” two teen flicks about infamous cliques and the lives they ruin, against each other. Both iconic in their own right, it’ll be far from easy to compare these beloved comedies - but let’s get down to the nitty-gritty to see which movie reigns supreme! Round 1: Plot At Westerburg High School, the entire student body lives in fear of the Heathers, a clique of three rich and attractive girls led by the cruel Heather Chandler. As the group's unofficial fourth member, Veronica Sawyer participates in the Heathers' vile schemes while secretly hating her so-called best friends. Following a volatile night out with Chandler, Veronica and an outcast named J.D. decide to play a little prank by tricking the Heathers' leader into drinking what ends up being drain cleaner. Long story short: Heather dies and the murderers stage the whole thing to seem like a suicide. Things only get worse from there, leading to a slew of dead bodies, a psychotic J.D., and Veronica giving the middle finger to her reputation. Joining North Shore High School after growing up in Africa, Cady Heron quickly learns wild animals are nowhere near as vicious as teenagers. In a community segregated by cliques, the Plastics stand at the top of the social food chain. Spurred by a classmate with a vendetta against the group, Cady joins the Plastics in order to take down Regina George, the school's Queen Bee who rules the hallways using blackmail. Cady sabotages and usurps Regina as the Plastics' leader, steadily becoming more and more like the manipulative bully in the process. Regina and Cady's war causes the entire school to fall into chaos, but Cady ultimately accepts responsibility for her actions, realizes everyone is wonderful in their own way and helps the Plastics grow as people. Happy endings for all involved! Both movies boast well-written plots with interesting characters. That being said, "Mean Girls" is a far tamer version of "Heathers." Due to starting out as a naive outsider, Cady's coming of age story is more predictable and lacks much in the way of lasting negative consequences. Comparatively, "Heathers" is dark, intense, and twisted. WINNER: Heathers 1 / Mean Girls 0 Round 2: Humor "Heathers" is a quintessential black comedy. Tackling themes such as rape, teen suicide, peer pressure, and school shootings; "Heathers" frames many of these sensitive subjects as fads to be adopted and discarded by a cynical student body concerned only with social standing. Rather than lovingly mocking the romanticized idea of high school, "Heathers" viciously satirizes affirmative teen comedies while delivering line after line of hilarious banter. The humor is irreverent, sharp, and harsh. Written by Tina Fey, "Mean Girls" blends the comedian's "Saturday Night Live" humor with a grounded aesthetic. Although the jokes are mostly crowd pleasers, "Mean Girls" possesses enough of an edge to give the punchlines a noticeable bit of a bite. For example, Tina Fey's teacher is falsely accused of being a drug dealer, while Cady's background in Africa leads to a few hilarious and visually exciting metaphors. “Mean Girls” also casts Amy Poehler as Regina’s cool mom, which is definitely a point in the movie's favor. Regardless of someone's age group or background, "Mean Girls'" witty and accessible humor should guarantee – at the very least – a couple of belly laughs. Dark comedies are a tougher sell and a certain frame of mind is necessary to truly appreciate "Heathers;" however, when the jokes hit, they hit hard! Even if "Mean Girls" is a slightly safer bet, both movies stand up to repeat viewings and offer something for adults and teenagers. We’re calling this round a tie. WINNER: Heathers 1 / Mean Girls 0 / Tie 1 Round 3: Quotability Whether staging a suicide or playing a game of croquet, "Heathers" always has the perfect thing to say. Oozing sarcasm and cynicism, the most memorable lines of dialogue are simultaneously shocking and funny. The movie helped popularize phrases like "what's your damage" and "lick it up," although everyone knows that "Heathers'" greatest quote involves a chainsaw. The wittiest dialogue in Hollywood means nothing without an audience willing to listen. "Mean Girls" is not only filled with snappy one-liners but – at release – the teen flick could not be escaped. Lines like "Why are you so obsessed with me?" and "On Wednesday we wear pink" are quoted seemingly daily as memes or casual references. Snappy dialogue is one thing, but "Mean Girls" transcends cinema to become a part of everyday life. "Heathers’” dialogue is a bit too subversive and stylized to be particularly applicable in daily conversations. Combined with the fact the movie bombed at the box office and predates social media, "Heathers" status as a cult hit limits its quotability quite a bit. On the other hand, "Mean Girls" came out at the perfect time to profit from the pervasiveness afforded by the internet. More importantly, "Mean Girls'" quotes work fine outside of the movie's context and are more likely to be recognized. While both are stuffed with memorable lines of dialogue, "Mean Girls" has "Heathers" beat in the quotability department. WINNER: Heathers 1 / Mean Girls 1 / Tie 1 Round 4: Legacy Critics loved "Heathers," but a near non-existent marketing campaign doomed the dark comedy to a quick death at the box office. In a decade defined by John Hughes comedies and sugary teen flicks, "Heathers" gave a shock to the system. Despite utterly flopping in theaters, "Heathers" remains one of cinema's defining teen movies and could really only have been produced during the late 1980s. Any subsequent edgy high school comedy is likely to be compared with this classic - and most fall short of the mark. Twenty years after hitting theaters, "Heathers" spawned a lighter off-Broadway stage musical that proved popular enough to secure a run in London. In 2018, the movie was rebooted as an (admittedly) ill-received and controversial TV series. Still, not bad for a flop! If – nearly a decade after release – the White House’s official Twitter page is still referencing "Mean Girls," then it is safe to assume the movie left a lasting impression. In addition to being Lindsay Lohan's standout role, "Mean Girls" cemented Tina Fey as THE comedy writer and launched Rachel McAdams to new heights. Social media has officially dubbed October 3rd as "Mean Girls Day," a nod to a scene between Cady and Aaron. Along with a better left unacknowledged sequel, "Mean Girls" has been adapted into video games, countless parody videos, and a musical that started out in Washington before transitioning to Broadway. There is no doubting "Mean Girls'" status as a cultural phenomenon. On the other hand, "Heathers" continues to persevere despite its modest beginnings and less accessible tone. An argument can also be made that ‘80s dark comedy served as an inspiration for several later teen flicks centering around cliques, including "Mean Girls." After all these years, "Heathers" is still a shocking and one of a kind satire. WINNER: Heathers 2 / Mean Girls 1 / Tie 1 Round 5: Finale A strong finale can elevate a mediocre movie to greatness and "Heathers" is never mediocre. Following multiple murders, Veronica finally attempts to break things off with J.D., who retaliates by setting out to kill his ex-girlfriend. The third act raises the already high stakes by introducing a race against the clock as Veronica attempts to stop J.D. from blowing up the school. "Heathers" maintains its sardonic tone and mean-spirited temperament until the very end. Redemption has no place at Westerburg High School. Attempted mass murder is not the only way to conclude a teen flick. Even with all of the back-stabbing, mind games, and spitefulness; "Mean Girls" is still an uplifting story about being true to yourself in the face of peer pressure. Cady is elected Queen at the Spring Fling dance, makes a speech about acceptance, and everyone changes for the better. "Mean Girls" concludes on a fittingly predictable note. We love a comforting happy ending and "Mean Girls" delivers the goods. However, "Heathers" has Christian Slater blow himself up before the ensuing explosion lights up Veronica's cigarette. "Heathers" easily wins this round. WINNER: Heathers 3 / Mean Girls 1 / Tie 1 It would seem “Heathers” surpasses “Mean Girls” with a victory of 3 to 1 and a single tie. Did we pick the right film? Be sure to debate it in the comments and of course, don’t forget to subscribe to MsMojo for more entertaining versus battles.