Mean Girls (2004)

 

Genre: Comedy/ Drama

Time: 1h 40mins

Director: Mark Waters

Quick Summary: Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.

Banger. Classic. Masterpiece. Timeless. 💅

Nothing beats the early 2000's cunty high school films. It's a genre I will never get tired of because they're so funny and in their own league. This is so easy to enjoy and it's absolutely timeless, even now, 20 years later it's still funny, even if a lot of them are based on far-fetched stereotypes. 

The teenagers actually look like teenagers, not like 30-year-olds playing teenagers. And what holds the film together are the great performances from the actors. They're all perfect. Lindsay Lohan is perfect as Cady, the clueless girl who gets a taste of popularity and has to have more. I've always found to enjoy her in film, she has this sort of quirky charm to her. Lizzy Caplan is a revelation as Janis, a punk character who I think was my gay awakening as a kid. 

But it is the actresses who play the plastics who truly stand out as they are the true focus of this. Lacey Chabert as Gretchen, the insecure, follower, who fakes her friendship with Regina just to be considered popular. Amanda Seyfried, as the ultimate dumb blonde Karen, has impeccable comic timing and I'm sure everyone knew someone like her in high school. And Rachel Macadams, as Regina George, is the stand-out in the film as the manipulative bitch who has to stay on top at all costs.

Humour-wise, it's a brilliant mix of all things. Dry humour from the adults flick in between the teen drama fits. Slurs and offensive jokes are said so casually, and almost everything is made fun of in some bitchy comment. All the lines are sharp and witty, and school life is constantly compared to the lifestyle of wild animals in Africa which makes for some really funny imaginative scenes. Various people are paired up against each other, firing off mean comments or funny one-liners through hate or friendship. 

Time flies by when watching this as you will be glued to the screen excited to see more teenage shenanigans, various attempts of social sabotage and bitch fests. It's just so enjoyable and easy to watch. A gem within the pit of teen comedy films. I'm also sure that you'll be able to relate to this no matter who you are. Either through being one of these people or knowing people like this.

I did think the narration that Lindsey does throughout was going to get annoying, but honestly, it added a lot to the story and our connection towards her character. We get to hear her inner thoughts, dilemmas, turmoil, and panic. Lots of films try this and usually fall flat, but this is elevated through it.

I adore this film. This shaped my humour from watching this as a young teen as I still quote some of the lines today. There's also this one song that plays every so often, which again I thought was going to get annoying but they decided to remix it each time, depending on the situation. You know what it worked too.

If you haven't seen this, you can't sit with me. 

10/10

"Boo, you whore."

"Regina: Is butter a carb?"

"Student: Nice wig, Janis. What's it made of?

Janis: Your mom's chest hair!"

"Don't have sex, because you will get pregnant and die! Don't have sex in the missionary position, don't have sex standing up, just don't do it, OK, promise?"

" Get in loser, we're going shopping."