Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
On Quartile, Clueless scores 7/10 across five categories — strongest on Plot (Above Average), weakest on Ending (Below Average).
Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Emboldened by her success, she decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than she is, Cher realizes that her disapproving ex-stepbrother was right about how misguided she was -- and falls for him.
Clueless is a witty, sharply written modernization of Jane Austen's Emma transplanted to 1990s Beverly Hills, and its distinctive voice — the valley-girl vernacular, candy-colored aesthetic, and satirical yet warm take on teen social dynamics — makes it genuinely singular in the teen comedy genre. Alicia Silverstone's performance as Cher is charismatic and surprisingly layered, and the ensemble is well-cast, but the acting is solid rather than exceptional. Cinematography is functional and era-appropriate with pleasing pastel visuals but nothing groundbreaking. The plot is fleet and clever in its first two acts, though it relies on familiar rom-com scaffolding borrowed directly from Austen. The ending, while satisfying on a surface level, is a bit rushed and the romantic resolution between Cher and Josh feels undercooked and slightly awkward given their quasi-familial dynamic.