AngourieRice – Credits Rolling

Is it 2004 or 2024 I had to wonder while watching this new adaptation of Mean Girls. Based on the musical that was based on the classic film, the story follows new student Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) as she is invited to hang out with the Plastics: Regina George (Renée Rapp), Karen Shetty (Avantika) and Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood). But when Cody falls for Aaron Samuels, (Christopher Briney) who just so happens to be Regina’s ex boyfriend, she finds herself in Regina’s crosshairs.

The 2004 version of Mean Girls is one of my all time favorite films. It is untouchable to me. I have seen it more times than I can count and I can recite the lines word for word. Did we really need an upgrade on something that was already perfect? I wasn’t sure, but I was willing to give it a chance.

I’m surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did. Firstly, everyone could carry a tune which was much appreciated. This allowed for the musical numbers to be even more fun. They were big and colorful and one was completely different from the other.

Of course there were going to be some updates to the material, since the original came out twenty years ago. While some of these didn’t quite work for me and a few of the newer jokes failed to land, I still found myself laughing out loud. The Halloween scene in particular and Karen’s song Sexy were such a vibe.

The casting was also pretty good. I was not familiar with Rice prior to her taking on the role of Cady, but I felt like she did it justice. Her portrayal was reminiscent of Lindsay Lohan’s for sure. Rapp, Shetty and Wood were fabulous as the Plastics and Briney worked well as our lovable heartthrob. I did think that Auli’i Cravalho’s Janis and Jaquel Spivey’s Damien were the scene stealers though – I loved that they narrated us through the story.

While I didn’t initially think we needed an updated version of Mean Girls, I am glad that we got one. It’s a slightly new take on a beloved classic that will be able to reach a new generation of fans. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that!

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Everyone knows Stephanie Conway (Angourie Rice). Popular, smart, head of the cheerleading squad and dating the hottest guy in school, she is a shoe in for Prom Queen. But when a cheerleading stunt goes terribly wrong at the school pep rally, she falls into a coma. Twenty years later, Steph (Rebel Wilson) wakes up to a whole new world. Believing she cannot move on with her life, she decides to go back to high school to claim that prom title once and for all.

Like many of the films Netflix puts out, my expectations are never very high. I had to learn that the hard way. Maybe that’s why I ended up liking Senior Year as much as I did. It was exactly the type of movie I needed to indulge in this weekend.

The best part of the whole thing was the soundtrack. I was immediately transported back to the early 2000s with all the songs I used to love listening to on repeat. Who else still remembers the lyrics to Sk8er Boi and Candy? Each scene was perfectly paired with a nostalgic throwback that, paired together with the timeless butterfly clips and bell bottoms, made my heart soar.

Another positive came about with the movie’s humor. Rebel Wilson is known for her comedic chops and this was no different. After discussing it with my husband, we decided that she is the female Ryan Reynolds as she tends to play herself, but that’s all part of her charm. Thanks to the rest of the cast, the laughs kept coming.

I had no idea there would be so many familiar faces here. Mary Holland as Steph’s best friend Martha was a great addition whereas Sam Richardson as Seth and Zoë Chao as Tiffany threw me back to when they starred in The After Party together. There was also heartthrob Justin Hartley who portrayed Steph’s ex boyfriend Blaine and Chris Parnell who starred as her dad Jim.

Senior Year is one of those movies where you know exactly what you are signing up for. You may also know how it is going to end. That still doesn’t stand in the way of you smiling, laughing and enjoying yourself anyway.

Rating: ♥♥♥