Heathers (1989)

There are so many reasons 1989’s Heathers would never get studio consideration in 2026. But that’s probably good, because as it stands, Heathers is one of the greatest dark comedies ever made. And it could have only been made in the 80s. Winona Ryder was coming off Beetlejuice, and Christian Slater had been in movies, but it was Heathers that helped make him a star of the early 90s. It’s a look at the high school hierarchy between the popular students and those relegated to the background. There are also the costs of trying to fit in. The real plot doesn’t kick in until several minutes into the movie, and that’s where the controversy begins, since it’s about killing off students. It was made on a small budget and made a small amount at the box office. But once it hit home video everything changed. That’s where people found it, proving once again the power of the rental store at the time. Heathers would help launch a teen genre of its own where death was the humor. Some of its lines will not land in 2026 because of societal changes. The best parts of revisiting movies like these is viewing them through the lens of time and seeing how we have changed. It’s also great when you see studios being bold and taking chances on movies like these.