Mean Girls 2024 brings a new, musical take on the classic film we all know and love. Although somewhat strange, the songs provide a refreshing viewing experience while staying true to the original plot (maybe a bit too true). However, it feels as if the actors have no creative freedom; every song and scene feels forced and uninspired. With a bit more liberty and some originality in the plot, this movie could have been on par with the 2004 Mean Girls.
The film begins with an astounding transition from Cady’s home in Africa to the iconic North Shore High School. We felt that this scene deserved a shout-out for its perfect fluidity and the way it keeps in theme with the song. However, those may be the only positives to the opening scene. The musical number is so poorly dubbed, it’s very obvious and makes it hard to notice and appreciate anything else. This is a recurring problem throughout the movie, subtracting a lot from the overall viewing experience. On the other hand, all of the background actors had incredible choreography and synchronization. During the Halloween party song, the actors had slowly paced yet quickly changing moves which dramatically affected the mood of the scene. As a whole, the background actors contributed the most to the music scenes and made them enjoyable, except for one: “Apex Predator.”
“Apex Predator” was possibly the most unintentionally unnerving scene we have ever had the displeasure of watching. The hundreds of high schoolers running around on all fours, making animal noises, and acting like wild beasts were wildly disturbing. Furthermore, the song isn’t even all that good. Sure it has some interesting drum patterns and lyrics, but it repeats too many times and has no varying motifs. It has an important role in establishing Regina George as the “queen” of the school, although we believe it could have been executed better.
Similarly, we felt as if they did not choose the best actors for some of the roles. For example, Christopher Briney, better known as Conrad, was chosen for the role of Aaron Samuels. Don’t get us wrong, he is an amazing actor, but we thought that there could have been a better, more fitting selection such as Timothée Chalamet. Additionally, the actor for the queen herself, Regina, could have been better. Reneé Rapp is an astonishingly talented singer and actress, but her vibe did not fit Regina’s role. However, the actors for both Damian and Janis played their parts perfectly and had an unbelievable effect on the movie’s enjoyment. Despite some negative parts of the movie, like the interesting dubbing and the selection of actors, Mean Girls 2024 will leave its mark on the world. The many funny scenes and talented singers ensure that the movie affects viewers, reminding them to always treat people with kindness and respect.