Clique and collect: Cady (Angourie Rice, centre) prepares to infiltrate North Shore High’s A-list
PICTUREHOUSE, PARAMOUNT, MUBI, UNIVERSAL, STUDIOCANAL, SKY, BULLDOG
★★★★★ OUT NOW CINEMAS
In 2004, Mean Girls had surprise on its side. Sharper than your average teen-com, it turned a canny riff on cliques into a quotable meme machine. Even with songs and social media added to the mix, this enjoyable but safe via-Broadway redo lacks that freshness. Returning writer Tina Fey’s script offers tweaks to details more than bold rethinks. And despite co-directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.’s previous with shorts and pop videos, the film only fitfully summons the gusto that fans of musicals might expect.