Movie Review: Mean Girls (2024)

Review by Megan Lee

Directors: Samantha Jayne & Arturo Perez Jr.

3/5

Since the original release of the hit movie Mean Girls in 2004, characters like Regina George and Cady Heron have had a massive impact on the worlds of teenage girls. The film was then adapted into a broadway musical in 2018. Now twenty years later, the musical adaptation of the original film premiered on January 12, updating the story to appeal to a new generation of teenagers. 

The remake, while conserving the original story line, now features musical numbers from the original Broadway show. Musical numbers like “Meet The Plastics” and “I’d Rather Be Me” further the plot in a fun and engaging way. Overall, the movie did a great job at merging characters and music to create a fluid storyline.

Though the musical side of the story was what made the new movie so engaging, some of the added humor was overbearing. Part of what makes the original 2004 film so appealing is its  sarcastic humor. The new adaptation relies too much on the original script for its humor, making comedic moments feel forced. Despite this, actors Renee Rapp and Angourie Rice do an excellent job of keeping the snarky relationship between Regina and Cady from the original film alive. 

Overall, this remake does a great job paying homage to the original, but ultimately left fans feeling unfulfilled.