Movie review – “Heathers” (1989) ****1/2

Most film goers first became familiar with Winona Ryder thought Beetlejuice but this was the film that indicated she was going to be around for a while. A stunningly brilliant black comedy which still holds up, regardless of the big hair and synthesizer score, with Ryder and Christian Slater perfect in their roles. The dialogue still dazzles, the sheer originality of the concept – students start killing bitches called Heather, make them suicides and suicide becomes popular – continues to impress, you keep being continually surprised by twists (eg “I don’t patronise bunny rabbits”, “I love my dead gay son”, Ryder and Slater laughing at a funeral for two football players then they cut to a shot of one of the player’s weeping little sister). The last section is admittedly not that strong – once Ryder breaks away from Slater she becomes passive, and the climax is dragged out with all those scenes of students clapping.