Heathers is conventionally put in a lineage with Clueless and Mean Girls as female-driven teen comedies that define the movies’ respective generations. This easy comparison overlooks the dark tone of Heathers, making The Craft a more fitting companion. While Heathers and Clueless are both about popularity and high school cliques, putting them in dialogue just for sharing a setting is too simplistic.
Heathers starred Winona Ryder as Veronica Sawyer, a girl trying to join the Heathers’ popular crew. By contrast, The Craft is about four girls who are not just unpopular but actively targeted. Robin Tunney led the cast of The Craft as Sarah Bailey, who has a similar arc with magic as Veronica had with popularity: first she sees it as a tool but then realizes it can be a weapon. Every Clueless character gets their happy ending, but not everyone escapes the end of The Craft – much like Heathers. While Heathers is usually compared to the likes of Clueless, the thematic links with The Craft are undeniable.
The Craft Is Closer To Heathers Than Clueless Or Mean Girls Ever Were
Heathers And The Craft Share A Sense Of Darkness
Heathers is a dark comedy, and The Craft is a supernatural drama with a lot of humor. They are tonal sisters. Both Heathers and The Craft have body counts that begin if not accidentally, then at least unintentionally. At this point, the leads, Veronica in Heathers and Sarah in The Craft, feel like they have exacted their revenge and even regret having taken it this far. However, their partners, J.D. in Heathers and The Craft’s Nancy Downs, are too power-hungry and continue to escalate the violence.
Heathers and The Craft share many dark moments, including spreading false gossip about sexual relations, rape or attempted rape, and suicidal ideations. Veronica decides to take action with J.D. after two football players start a rumor she performed oral sex on both of them. Similarly, Sarah decides to complete Nancy’s coven only after a popular boy spreads a lie about having had sex with Sarah. Both movies follow outsiders seeking revenge. In many ways, The Craft is a magical extension of Heathers.
Why Clueless & Mean Girls Aren’t Really Similar To Heathers
Clueless Is Told From Queen Bee’s Point Of View
Heathers is told from the perspective of Veronica, someone trying to break into the popular circle. Clueless is the reverse – Cher Horowitz is the popular girl, the main character taking on a new student as a project. As such, Clueless is a version of events as if Heathers was told from Heather Chandler’s point of view. The Craft is about the disenfranchised trying to balance the scales of justice, which feels much more spiritually like Heathers.
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Heathers: 5 Things That Hold Up Today (5 That Didn’t Age Well)
A cult classic, Heathers is an ’80s teen movie with a pitch-black sense of humor. While still biting, some of this Winona Ryder film has aged poorly.
Heathers, Clueless, and Mean Girls are all movies about cliques and teenage girls’ desire to be accepted if not popular. However, beyond the high school setting and small ensemble format, Heathers is different in tone and theme from Clueless and Mean Girls. Clueless and Mean Girls are lighter comedies compared to the black comedy of Heathers. For example, while Cady Heron might steal Regina George’s boyfriend, Nancy outright kills Sarah’s.
Heathers
and
The Craft
are a perfect double feature, as are
Clueless
and
Mean Girls
.
In different ways, Heathers, Clueless, Mean Girls, and The Craft all grapple with the concept of losing one’s identity to gain acceptance or power. However, the harshest Clueless ever gets is when Cher is called “just a virgin who can’t drive.” This is a far cry from Sarah invoking a Pagan deity, Manon, to retaliate against Nancy. Heathers and The Craft are a perfect double feature, as are Clueless and Mean Girls. For all Heathers‘ obvious influence on other projects, The Craft is Heathers’ true spiritual successor.
The Craft is a 1996 teen horror movie starring Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, Fairuza Balk, and Rachel True. The Andrew Fleming-directed film focuses on a group of outcasts at an LA high school who practice witchcraft and create their own coven. The film received mixed reviews but was a surprise hit at the box office for Columbia.
- Director
- Andrew Fleming
- Release Date
- May 3, 1996
- Studio(s)
- Columbia Pictures
- Writers
- Andrew Fleming , Peter Filardi
- Cast
- Neve Campbell , Fairuza Balk , Robin Tunney , Rachel True
- Runtime
- 101 Minutes
- Budget
- $15 Million