Think of a teen film that breaks the mold and doesn’t seem to be a teen film at all. If you’re a real movie aficionado, the film that might come to mind is 1989’s “Heathers,” which was a very different spin on the overly used “High School Clique” experience.

There are four girls who rule Westerberg High, Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk) and Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder). They spend their days torturing geeks like Martha Dunnstock (Carrie Lynn), who they call Martha Dump-truck, doling out witty dialogue, and playing croquet. When new guy JD (Christian Slater) arrives at school, he shakes up Veronica’s world and forces her to confront how awful the Heathers really are.

Heathers came out in 1989, at the end of an era dominated by John Hughes movies where teenagers are fun, sweet, and adorable—the most bad-ass things they do involve dancing at parades and skipping out on their detention homework. The Heathers teens range from vapid to down right evil, a sharp contrast to the charming geeks and lovable jocks of the Hughes Cannon. In Heathers, house parties are replaced by funerals, and instead of the cute male lead turning out to be surprisingly sensitive, he turns out to be a murderous psychopath. Sadly, in some ways it’s a much more realistic portrayal of what high school is really like.

The American high school is a nasty place, and Heathers was the first movie that exposed it as such. In high school everyone is labeled, every dark secret is fair game, and even death is a way to up your social standing.

Corey Haim and Winona Ryder in Lucas - 1986

Lucas is a 1986 American teen tragicomedy

starring Corey Haim, Kerri Green, Charlie Sheen and Courtney Thorne-Smith.

The film is particularly notable for being the screen debut of actress Winona Ryder.

Christian Slater and Winona Ryder in Heathers - 1989

(Source: wrybibliophile)

Adrock from the Beastie Boys and Winona Ryder - 1989 - High Res.