Mean Girls [2024] – Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auli’i Cravalho

Mean Girls has its high points, and I can’t believe that it’s Regina George played by Reneé Rapp. Everything else is… meh.

Let’s be honest, remakes almost never work. And this 2024 remake of the cultural icon Mean Girls came with a twist: Musical Numbers. And thank Broadway for that. If it weren’t for those musical numbers, and Reneé Rapp, this could have been a disaster: Rapp and Auli’i Cravalho give standout performances. And Tina Fey pays homage to the original while also incorporating fresh jokes and dialogue.

The thing is, Mean Girls is known for its cultural memes. And this comedy musical remake fails at delivering even the most obvious ones… Yes, it has some nice moments, but it’s wildly uneven. Along the way, Mean Girls loses the bite of its cinematic predecessor. The result is a painfully self-aware pastiche that fails to capture the acerbic magnetism of the original movie, the campy charm of musicals, or the real talent of its young cast.

The movie is hampered by flaccid attempts at humor and songs with no resonance whatsoever, except for one that is stuck in my head: “My Name is Regina George”. Perfection.

Should You Watch It?

Despite some cringe-inducing cameos, this movie almost blends the charm of a beloved teen comedy with the dynamic energy of a musical, it’s an okay experience that caters to fans of the Broadway adaptation more than the original movie.

Where Can I Watch It?

Mean Girls is now playing in theaters.