Mean Girls: A [Revenge] Party Worth Attending

Apparently, remakes can still be fetch.

Mean Girls tells the story of Cady Heron (Angourie Rice), a teenager who transfers to a new high school in the US from her home of South Africa. On her first day, Cady finds herself in the crosshairs of an elite group of popular girls called the Plastics. Led by the ruthless Regina George (Renee Rapp), the Plastics seem willing to play nice with their new student. But, after Cady accidentally falls for Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), aka Regina’s ex-boyfriend, Regina unleashes her fury upon her. Uniting with fellow outcasts Janis (Auli’I Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), Cady finally decides to take down the Plastics and restore balance to the school’s social structure.

Based on the hit Broadway musical (which, of course, is based on the popular 2004 film), Mean Girls still feels every bit as relevant and energetic as it did two decades ago. (Re)written by Tina Fey and starring some of its original cast, this vision of Girls is a fascinating blend of modern pop fusion and nostalgia. It’s sharp, sassy and still fearless.

Make no mistake, this film feels like a (revenge) party that you want to go to. 

Since the original’s release, Mean Girls has grown more popular than ever. At the time, the small comedy was meant as a star vehicle for Lindsay Lohan, yet also launched the careers of future stars like Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lizzy Caplan. While well-received, Fey could never have predicted the legacy that the film has managed to create. (After all, this is a film that still gets referenced every October 3rd.) Now, with the cinematic reboot of the Broadway musical, Girls feels like a payoff for fans who have fallen in love with Cady’s dance with darkness. (Fans still elicit excited squeals over familiar quotes like ‘You go, Glenn Coco’ and ‘She doesn’t even go here!’.) 

But, despite the nostalgia, this vision of Girls never feels like a retread. In fact, this musical has so much pop-infused joy that an entirely new generation is bound to fall in love with it all over again. Although the material is familiar, it’s musical flair gives it new life on the big screen. Tracks like ‘Revenge Party’, ‘Apex Predator’ and (my personal favourite) ‘Someone Gets Hurt’ are fueled with fury, giving new life to the twenty-year-old story. 

Much of this is due to some stellar work by its cast, especially Renee Rapp as the queen bee herself, Regina George. Taking over the role for McAdams, Rapp is absolutely on fire throughout the film. There’s a ruthlessness within her soul that burns more brightly than the book she carries. Not to be outdone, Rice also delivers strong work as Cady. Tasked with walking the line between innocence and cruelty, Rice thrives in the role that made Lohan an icon. Together, the two actresses have great chemistry, burning down the screen with youthful fire. (And that’s not even to exclude a rejuvenated performance by Auli’i Cravalho.)

Even after twenty years, there’s still something about Girls that feels universal. No matter how old you are, one can’t help but get caught up in the high school drama. Underneath the pop culture references and musical numbers, Girls is still a story about trying to accept who we are in the midst of the terrifying teen years. Whether it’s writing comments in the ‘burn book’ or slamming people on TikTok, the perils of the high school jungle remain as dangerous as ever. And, in a world of social media-based social lives, knowing ‘who we are’ has never been more difficult. 

In this way, Mean Girls has always managed to tap into the awkward teen in all of us. That’s what makes it so endearing.

In terms of special features, the disc is admittedly surprisingly scant. While there are some features that talk about the legacy and an extended scene, one can’t help but wish there was a bit more to be excited about. But, admittedly, the best feature may have been the most necessary. For select songs, there’s a sing-a-long version that allows you to join the girls. With the non-stop hit machine that is the reboot, this is easily the most inclusive of the features that’s worth jamming along with.

But, yes. While the original didn’t necessarily need a remake, this Mean Girls has somehow managed to equal the power of the original. Stepping back into her own material, Fey has created a world that feels both absurdly foreign and terrifyingly familiar. As a result, it’s easy to become, like, totally obsessed with it all over again.

Mean Girls is available on 4K, Blu-Ray & Digital on Tuesday, April 30th, 2024.