Parents' Guide to

Heathers

By Maria Llull, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

After Columbine, this dark comedy isn't as funny.

Movie R 1989 103 minutes
Heathers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 31 parent reviews

JutiperBerryjingle
JutiperBerryjingle Adult
July 18, 2021
age 9+

BEST MOVIE!!

First off can I say, Christian Slater is so hot! I love his Jack Nicholson-esque performance, it was so good that I have paranoia 'cause he's so scary. This movie has realistic problems and doesn't glorify high school like other 80's movies (John Hughes I'm looking at you) I watched for Winona but I keep coming back to watch it cause it's so good!
Limecastle085
Limecastle085 Adult
January 1, 2021
age 10+

Educated and mature pre teens (SPOILER ALERT)

It contains sex, lots of violence and faked suicides that are murders committed by the two main characters. Real attempts go through but are unsuccessful except for the end where the insane ex of the main character, Veronica, blows himself up. In the back of one scene a girl is clearly sexually assaulted by another student. Veronica is also victim of an attempted rape/ sexual assault for a collage boy. Forced kisses are also seen throughout the movie and the main relationship is very toxic. JD uses Veronicas burnt hand to light his own cigarette. One of the characters suffers from bulimia and a homophobic slur is used at one point. Heavy smoking, drugs and drinking can also be frequently seen. I do love this film though and would definitely recommend.
See all 31 parent reviews

What's the Story?

The HEATHERS, three girls with the same name(Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, and Kim Walker), run things from the top of the social food chain at Westburg High. Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder), who feels left out of the popular crowd, meets a witty rebel who quickly steals her heart named J.D. (Christian Slater). J.D. supports her hatred of the Heathers and joins her in a vindictive practical joke on the top Heather. But the joke is for keeps when Heather drinks J.D.'s "hangover cure" made of deadly cleaning fluid. A shocked Veronica decides to help J.D. cover up the murder by making it look like suicide. A series of copycat suicides quickly envelops Westburg High. The phenomenon takes on a bizarre life of its own as the student body, faculty, and parents all react to the macabre events in their own clueless and dysfunctional way. Meanwhile, Veronica must admit to herself that J.D. is even more of a monster than the Heathers. Can she foil his plot to administer a student body-wide suicide pact?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (31 ):
Kids say (185 ):

The odd and often uncomfortable world of teen peer pressure is no stranger to any of us, and this dark comedy zooms unhesitatingly into this pressure cooker. It dishes up some grotesque stereotypes, and tosses them into a cleverly campy scenario that threatens the lives of the entire student body of Westburg High.

Heathers is a well-acted movie with many memorable lines. It's become a classic of the teenage macabre genre, and with good reason. Older teens and adults will find that there's much dark delight to be found in its silly, biting twist on teen life.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about popularity, suicide, depression, and any number of hot-button teen subjects. High school is a high-anxiety microcosm of what awaits teenagers post-graduation. How do you deal with pressure successfully? How do you learn to make positive decisions?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

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 movie 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