I’ve never read Strangers on a Train but I’ve seen so many adaptations, references and parodies that it feels as though I have. One of the most memorable ones is in an episode of The Simpsons, which really only sticks in my mind because Barr keeps popping up saying “criss-cross”. The latest film to be inspired by Patricia Highsmith’s novel is Do Revenge. The Netflix original is what happens when you combine Alfred Hitchcock and Riverdale. I always suspected that I was beyond the intended age range but I figured it was worth a try. After all, I’m fairly obsessed with Maya Hawke at the moment. She’s by far the greatest thing about Stranger Things and was interested to see her do something a bit darker.

Do Revenge is clearly meant to be Heathers for Gen Z. I know most Millennials see Heathers as a cult classic but I didn’t really see what all the fuss was about. Yeah, it’s fun but it’s not a film I’d be watching repeatedly. I’m sure there are plenty of young people who will be watching Do Revenge on repeat but, once again, I feel as though I’m in the minority. It’s not that this is a bad film but it just didn’t really do anything that interesting. It was all so obvious and didn’t do anything unique. None of the twists were really that shocking.

The premise is really quite simple. The one-time queen of high school, Drea, is knocked from her perch in a particularly nasty and public way. Having gained entry to the private school on a scholarship, Drea’s position was always tentative but this time she’s outed for good. A chance meeting with Eleanor, a new student, helps her formulate a plan to take down the person responsible for her downfall. Drea agrees to go after the girl who ruined Eleanor’s life if Eleanor agrees to do the same for her. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, as this is a classic teen movie, a lot of things go wrong. This is a classic 90s movie and has all of the things you’d expect. There’s a makeover, an introduction to the school’s various cliques and a very hands-on headteacher. It’s a fun and often witty film that does have a dark streak. It also has a bit more depth than I expected. It has more to say than a simple teen comedy. It is also better than the majority of films that Netflix normally comes out with. Looking back at their past teen movies, Do Revenge is a standout.

Although, it is definitely too long at nearly 2 hours long. I guess they just got carried away. Still, it’s always fun to see two females leading a film like this. Neither characters are particularly nice which also feels pretty refreshing. It’s a pretty cool representation of how bitchy and vicious teen girls can be. At least in a less touchy feely way than most teen movies do. Well, I say it isn’t touchy feely but the ending is pretty twee and disappointing. Still, Do Revenge did exceed my expectations. It’s not Simpsons parody but it’ll do.