Is the New “Mean Girls” Movie Worth Watching?

Written by Nadia Krill

The new “Mean Girls” remake was announced in 2020, leading people to wonder how the producers could possibly make an iconic movie any more iconic. My curiosity piqued when I began to see ads for the movie all over social media. A few weeks after the movie’s release, my friend and I went to see the new remake.

First things first, if you do not like musicals, this movie is not for you. The entire film felt like a set of music videos integrated into each other. However, this was done purposely because the remake was based on the Broadway musical version of “Mean Girls,” not the original 2004 movie. The music made the movie feel like its own unique creation, instead of just being a carbon copy remake. Most of the iconic lines that many of us still quote from the original “Mean Girls” were reworded or completely taken out of this version, but the dialog was still funny and captivating. The script was modern and reflected the language used by Generation Z.

One of my favorite parts of the remake was how characters were represented. Queer-coded characters in the original movie were openly queer in the remake. Janis, a character that presented as queer but never openly stated as such, was openly a lesbian in the remake and brought a girl to prom with her. The characters weren’t perpetuating harmful stereotypes either. The actors all looked like realistic highschoolers. From body types to outfits, they resembled what an average high school demographic would look like. In the original “Mean Girls,” the actors appeared much older than high school-aged students. I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of the students.

Another important aspect of the film to discuss is the inclusion of technology. In several scenes, the movie screen appeared as if you were watching it on your smartphone. After several important segments, like Regina getting hit by a bus, the movie showed Tik Tok videos and messages talking about the incident. Usually when movies include technology, it is cringey and not representative of how younger people actually use their phones. However, this film was spot on with how younger generations use technology. It felt relatable and accurate as they even included famous influencers to talk in those segments.

Overall, the movie was very well done. If you like the original “Mean Girls” or enjoy musicals, this movie is definitely worth seeing. I will be listening to the soundtrack for the foreseeable future.

Featured Photograph by Nadia Krill