Jawbreaker
dir. Darren Stein · 1999
Plot
In a no-holds-barred birthday prank, three of Reagan High School's most popular girls - Julie, Marcie, and Courtney - pretend to kidnap the most popular, Liz Purr. Courtney shoves a jawbreaker into the victim's mouth ostensibly to keep her from screaming. Their plan goes awry when the girl accidentally swallows the jawbreaker, choking to death. The cool and calculating Courtney tries to cover the crime but is found out by school geek Fern Mayo. In return for her silence, Courtney transforms the gawky Fern into the stylishly beautiful Vylette, leaving the conscience-stricken Julie out in the cold, threatening to set her up for the girl's murder if she breaks her silence.
Why watch
A birthday prank spirals out of control when Liz Purr chokes on a jawbreaker, leading her friends to navigate the treacherous waters of high school popularity and moral compromise. Watching it feels like a rollercoaster ride through the absurdities of teenage life, where the stakes are deadly serious but the humor is razor-sharp.