Movies

12 ’90s Movie References You Missed In Do Revenge

Heathers and Clueless are among the teen movies referenced in the Netflix film.

by Radhika Menon
Netflix's 'Do Revenge.'
Kim Simms/Netflix © 2022

If you haven’t heard yet, there’s a new, instant-classic teen movie on Netflix. Do Revenge, from writer Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, centers on two teen girls at an upscale private school who make a pact to sabotage and take revenge on each other’s mortal enemies. The film stars Camila Mendes from Riverdale as Drea and Maya Hawke who recently starred in Stranger Things as Eleanor. The plot of Do Revenge might sound like something you’ve seen before, and that’s because it kind of is: not only is it reminiscent of ’90s films like Heathers or Fatal Attraction but it’s also loosely based on the Hitchcock film Strangers on a Train.

But the beauty of Do Revenge is that it doesn’t just build upon the ’90s films that came before, it actually pays direct homage to many of them with clever winks and nods, and occasionally full-scene recreations. Here are 12 references you might have missed while watching Do Revenge.

1Clueless-inspired Outfits

Students at Rosehill Country Day in Do Revenge.Kim Simms/Netflix © 2022.

Right off the bat, Do Revenge sets the scene with the pastel green and purple Rosehill Country Day uniforms. The plaid-heavy outfits call directly back to Clueless and Cher Horowitz’s iconic yellow plaid outfit that has inspired many Halloween costumes in the years since its 1995 release.

2Horowitz Hall Refers to Cher Horowitz in Clueless

Drea in Do Revenge.Kim Simms/Netflix © 2022

Speaking of Clueless, Horowitz Hall at Rosehill Country Day is a direct reference to the beloved Cher Horowitz. Later in the film, Drea is even seen using a feathery pink pen which looks exactly like one from Clueless.

3Drea and Eleanor Harness Their “Glennergy” a la Fatal Attraction

A direct reference, Drea and Eleanor openly discuss their twisted plan and laugh at the absurdity of it all by joking about harnessing their “Glennergy,” referencing Glenn Close’s iconic role as an obsessive stalker in the 1987 film Fatal Attraction.

4Eleanor Gets A She’s All That Makeover

No teen movie is complete without a makeover, and in Do Revenge Eleanor gets a head-to-toe revamp reminiscent of She’s All That and Jawbreaker. There’s even a tongue-in-cheek reference to the trope as Eleanor calls it “problematic” while Drea acknowledges she’s right, “but it’s so fun!”

5An Overview of the School’s Social Structure Pulls from Mean Girls and 10 Things I Hate About You

The “Instagram witches” in Do Revenge.Kim Simms/Netflix © 2022

Early in the film, Eleanor gets an overview of her new school from another student, Gabbi (Talia Ryder). The scene calls back to Damian and Janis explaining the school’s social structure to Cady, and when Michael gives Cameron the lowdown in 10 Things I Hate About You.

Of course, Do Revenge updates the language and references, classifying people as “Instagram witches” and “horny theater kids who tried to mount a mostly white production of Hamilton.”

6After Being Drugged, Students Pull A Mean Girls And Ask Their Mom To Pick Them Up

As chaos ensues after Drea spikes the soup with mushrooms, a background character can be seen on the phone with their mom. “Mom can you come get me I don’t want to be here!” she says, which Mean Girls fans will recognize.

7Drea and Russ Have A 10 Things I Hate About You Paintball Fight

In Do Revenge, Drea and Russ have a flirtatious paintball fight.Kim Simms/Netflix © 2022

It’s not a teen movie without a romance plot, and Drea finds herself attracted to the blue-haired Russ whom she meets while trying to get close to Eleanor’s bully Carissa. Drea and Russ have a paintball fight midway through the movie, mirroring the one that Kat and Patrick have in 10 Things I Hate About You.

8Eleanor’s Arc Is The Same As Cady’s from Mean Girls

If you listen and look closely, Eleanor’s arc is similar to Cady’s in Mean Girls: as a farce, she gets a makeover, befriends the popular clique, and tries to bring them down from the inside.

The only difference is that instead of Eleanor forgetting Drea’s birthday just like Cady forgot Janis’s, the script flips the two.

9Max’s Texts Are Leaked, and Drea Channels Regina George Watching It All Unfold

Regina George watching chaos of her own making in Mean Girls.Paramount Pictures

While Do Revenge doesn’t have a Burn Book, Drea still manages to unleash havoc on the school when she reveals her ex-boyfriend Max’s texts and exposes him as a serial cheater. The entire sequence — from printouts taped to lockers, a fire in the trash can, and Drea standing arms-crossed watching it unfold — is a direct homage to Mean Girls and Regina George.

10Carissa Plays Croquet In Rehab, A Nod to Heathers

Drea visits Carissa, the girl that Eleanor accuses of outing her, in rehab after it’s exposed that she’s the one harvesting mushrooms at the school’s garden. At rehab, Carissa is playing croquet, a nod to the iconic scene from Heathers.

11Drea’s Party Outfit Is An Homage to Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion

Drea and Eleanor in Do Revenge.Kim Simms/Netflix © 2022

Robinson told Netflix’s TUDUM that Romy and Michele was “a huge touchstone” for the film — especially for the costumes. “We definitely talked about Romy and Michele a lot,” she said. “I wasn’t directly inspired by Romy and Michele, but that was a movie we spoke about a lot in terms of finding the visual language and the vibes for the costumes.”

12Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Principal Is Meant to Invoke Her Cruel Intentions Character

Sarah Michelle Gellar plays the headmaster in Do Revenge.Kim Simms/Netflix © 2022

Robinson said that Gellar’s appearance as the headmaster in Do Revenge was very Cruel Intentions. “I wanted her character to feel like Kathryn from Cruel Intentions is the headmaster of the school,” Robinson told BuzzFeed.

13Bonus: A Taylor Swift Quote

Not quite a 90s movie reference, but close listeners will hear Eleanor channeling Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” interlude.

“The Old Eleanor can’t come to the phone right now,” she says. “Why?” Drea asks, playing along. “Because she’s dead,” she quips.

How many of these references did you spot? Do Revenge is streaming now on Netflix.