Twenty years ago Mean Girls exploded into cinemas. The film was a delicious teen movie starring Lindsay Lohan as a home-schooled girl who struggled to survive in the harsh world of high-school. It also launched the career of Rachel McAdams who played Regina George, the leader of the Plastics, the titular mean girls. The film won over an entire generation, and now directing duo Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. have had the unenviable task of remaking the story.
After the success of 2004’s Mean Girls, a musical stage show was produced. It is this that forms the inspiration for the new film, meaning that yes, Mean Girls 2024 is a musical. The advertising and trailers seemingly tried to keep this aspect a secret and as such this version of Mean Girls will lose some viewers at very early doors. Not only will the surprise songs shock some members of its audience, others will struggle with the fact that this is not a straight remake. So why retread something so beloved?
If you can separate this version from the original you will find a great modern reworking of the teen classic. The script is once again written by Tina Fey and having that consistent voice helps to marry the two films together. Her script is peppered with many of the iconic lines, but also strives to be different. The tone especially, is different from the original. The almost farcical elements, such as the montage of trying to get Aaron to discover Regina cheating, is gone. Instead, it is replaced with a more straightforward show and tell. The end result is the same, it is just not as silly.
A key change-up from the original is that it is not as mean. This will infuriate some, whilst relieving others. The original has come under fire for its body-shaming and thankfully this issue is almost completely eradicated this time around. There is still friction between the girls, but it doesn’t feel as malicious. Each girl is also afforded a little more development than previously seen. All members of the plastics get a solo and within that a safe space to share their insecurities. Even Regina George is made somewhat human, Reneé Rapp doing an excellent job bringing the character she played on stage to the screen. In contrast, Angourie Rice is not quite as strong as Cady, mainly due to her never being one hundred percent convincing when in plastic mode.
The songs themselves are catchy, but fall short of being feverish earworms. Days on from viewing it is hard to recall any standouts. When compared to something like Heathers: The Musical, which has the iconic ‘Dead Girl Walking’, Mean Girls falls slightly flat. Although the songs’ longevity might be in question, there is no denying that they all work well within the narrative. Like Heathers, this is not a bubblegum gloss over; the songs both musically and lyrically maintain the sharpness and undercurrent of darkness that makes the story so enticing.
How much mileage audiences will get from Mean Girls will depend on the viewer’s ability to handle both music and change. Those with an aversion to either will struggle, but those that venture in with an open mind will discover an enjoyable high-school movie. One that, although doesn’t quite achieve the same status as its predecessor, remains a modern interpretation that will surely enchant a whole new generation of tweens trying to make ‘fetch’ happen.
Mean Girls (2024)
Summary
Mean Girls 2024 has some big boots to fill and mostly achieves its goal, depending on how open minded the viewer is willing to be.
Mean Girls is released in UK cinemas on Wednesday 17th January 2024.
