Mean Girls
A sharp-edged high school musical follows an outsider whose bid to bring down the Plastics turns her into the very kind of social tyrant she despises.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- energetic
- teen movie night
- musical movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the musical adaptation entertaining and well performed, though uneven songs, familiar storytelling, and comparisons with the 2004 film limited its impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cady joins the Plastics while reporting back to Janis and Damian, making social infiltration the central narrative engine.
Regina's influence over North Shore High and the Plastics' control of social behavior turn popularity into an explicit power structure.
Songs such as Revenge Party transform rivalry, desire, and group identity into theatrical performance.
Cady's rivalry with Regina is surrounded by her bonds with Janis, Damian, Karen, and Gretchen, with friendship reshaped by bullying and betrayal.
Films like Mean Girls, and why
Mean Girls
high school social hierarchy, sharp female-centered comedy, bullying, and outsider assimilation
The Prom
teen clique politics, friendship tensions, musical numbers, and comedic school-world satire
Do Revenge
stylized high school comedy driven by popularity, identity, and female friendship
The Cheetah Girls
musical coming-of-age comedy centered on social status, romance, and school cliques
Movie Details
- Directors
- Arturo Perez Jr., Samantha Jayne
- Release Date
- 2024-01-10
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (771)
Cast
- Angourie Rice
- Reneé Rapp
- Auliʻi Cravalho
- Jaquel Spivey
- Avantika
- Bebe Wood
- Christopher Briney
- Jenna Fischer
- Busy Philipps
- Tina Fey
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Mean Girls about?
- A sharp-edged high school musical follows an outsider whose bid to bring down the Plastics turns her into the very kind of social tyrant she despises.
- What is Mean Girls like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mean Girls as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Mean Girls violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Mean Girls.
- What did critics think of Mean Girls?
- Critics generally found the musical adaptation entertaining and well performed, though uneven songs, familiar storytelling, and comparisons with the 2004 film limited its impact.
- Which films are like Mean Girls?
- Films with a similar feel include Mean Girls, The Prom, Do Revenge, and The Cheetah Girls.
- How long is Mean Girls?
- Mean Girls runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mean Girls?
- In United States, Mean Girls streams on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
