40 must-watch movies to consider yourself a film buff

Heathers (1988)

I know this technically premiered in the US in 1989, but to keep this to one film a year I’m going with its Italian premiere date in 1988.)If Mean Girls showed up what high school girls were like in 2004, Heathers showed us that this all started back in the ‘80s. Heathers tells the tale of Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) and her acrimonious friendship with three girls, all named Heather.

Veronica’s issue is mainly with her “best friend,” Heather Chandler (Kim Walker) and what happens when Heather actually ends up dead. Heathers is a black comedy that probably couldn’t get made today considering it involves students killing other students and culminates with a high school bombing. The point is, though, that by 1988 teens were seen as a hot commodity. Mall culture dominated the decade and corporate America realized there was a lot of money to be mined from adolescence.

So what should parents expect from their children who are perceived to be adults in the making? They should prep for the kids to act as cruel, vindictive, and wild as they themselves can be. Heathers has a lot to say about parents and adults, but it has even more to say on being a teenage girl; how violent our friendships can be and how one’s best friend can be your worst enemy. “Same difference,” according to Veronica.

Where to Watch It: Stream it now on Netflix, Hulu, and Sundance Select. It’s also available to rent on Google Play, Vudu, YouTube, and Apple.