By Chad Shreeves
Intro: Heathers: The Musical Review
Where to Stream It? The Roku Channel (Releases on Friday, September 16th, 2022)
Starring: Ailsa Davidson, Simon Gordon, Maddison Firth, Vivian Panka, Teleri Hughes, Mhairi Angus, Liam Doyle, Rory Phelan, Vicki Lee Taylor, Andy Brady, Oliver Brooks, Benjamin Karran, Chris Parkinson, Jermaine Woods, Eleanor Morrison-Halliday, Mary-Jean Caldwell, Hannah Lowther, May Tether
Book, Music, and Lyrics By: Kevin Murphy and Laurence O'Keefe
Directed by: Andy Fickman
Please Note- Heathers: The Musical features depictions and conversations about suicide and sexual assault. Persons with sensitivities to those subjects may want to use discretion when viewing the film.
Heathers: The Musical is a fun, fast-paced, and energetic adaptation of the cult classic film. Adapted for the stage and now on The Roku Channel, this musical ticks all the boxes. Despite some issues, it proves to be one of the best offerings on the fledgling service. Filmed in London’s The Other Palace Theatre, this is a blast for theater fans around the world.
Ever since the massive, runaway success of Hamilton, every streaming service has been rushing to acquire many of these Broadway and West End productions for professional shoots. And they have proven to be much more successful than traditional film adaptations such as Dear Evan Hansen and The Prom. Heathers becomes the newest entry in this race for the musical throne.
The Story
Heathers: The Musical follows the exploits of high school senior Veronica who dreams of breaking out of her shell and joining the “popular” crowd. When she ends up in the company of three high school mean girls, she finds herself in a worse place than she had ever imagined. Once she meets, and ends up in a relationship with, stereotypical bad boy JD, Veronica ends up in a dangerous game that shows the consequences of the popularity race can be deadly.
The story itself is very well told, paced expeditiously through its 2 hours and 15 minutes runtime. It never drags, and really feels like it goes through the story as quickly as it can without ever really missing a beat with its important character moments.
This musical packs in a LOT of sensitive topics. Some of those include societal pressures, sexual pressures, suicide, depression, and parental neglect and abuse. It really hits all the notes when it comes to the toughest aspects of high school life.
It’s worth noting that a family-friendly Disney musical this is not. It is a hard R-rated film that features violence, sex, and plenty of language. This doesn't make it a bad film, however, as the use of the more explicit content never feels unwarranted.
Yet despite a very strong opening the movie does not quite end as well. The ending gets a little outrageous (even for a musical) and that drags it down just a notch. The second half as a whole becomes a mixed bag with a final fifteen minutes or so that just kind of falls apart. Not so much to make it a bad movie but it does bring it down as a whole.
The Characters
The ensemble cast truly performs well. Alisa Davidson chews up the scenery with every moment she’s on the screen as Veronica. And her vocal range is great throughout the variety of Veronica’s various musical numbers.
Simon Gordon’s JD proves to be a conflicted, strong character and he plays it off very well. While he comes across a little flat especially toward the end, he still has many moments that come through just fine.
However, the absolute standout is Maddison Firth’s Heather Chandler. She revels in every vicious, delightful moment she is in. It’s obvious she is having fun as such a nasty, awful character but she makes it so fun to see.
The Music
Heathers features a wide variety of musical numbers. While there are a few duds, especially a couple of the slower ballads, there are some toe-tapping blasts throughout. The opening 1-2 punch of Beautiful and Candy Store really get the audience in the mood and start out strong.
Other songs are very hit or miss, with some numbers that are just forgettable. It’s not the strongest song lineup in musical theater, but there are some wonderful songs as well.
The Production
One of the best things about this professional shoot is how the cinematography and camera direction absolutely capture the live theater experience. To many it might seem basic, but the way Roku chooses to open this film with an overview of the theater and things like tickets being scanned, patrons taking their seats, lights beginning to dim…these are all minor things that set the mood and create some brilliant immersion for this production.
There’s also a lot of artistic decisions made in the shot that really heighten the film as well. Cutaway shots to the audience sometimes feel cheap and unnecessary, but it’s used sparingly enough here that it works, especially in a few moments where the audience becomes involved.
Lastly, the editing is on point. Shots don’t cut short or drag too long, characters are perfectly encapsulated, and every camera angle used compliments the narrative being told in a way that really captures that theater experience.
Final Thoughts- Heathers: The Musical Review
Musical theater fans should truly enjoy this film. While there isn’t anything new or groundbreaking from either a musical or film standpoint, there is a lot to enjoy.
Despite a rather lackluster ending and some less-than-stellar songs to it, I really came out enjoying a lot of what I saw. Whether it’s your first time experiencing this musical, or re-living a memory from the Off-Broadway or West End production, it’s a great time despite its flaws.
