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Plenty of films since have turned the high school election into a cliché, but 1999's "Election" is an iconic example that's worth revisiting. It's razor-sharp political satire masquerading as a high school comedy; it's "Heathers" meets "Yellow Jackets," Reese Witherspoon at her Witherspoon-iest two years before "Legally Blonde" taught us how to bend and snap. And with Election Day now in the rearview mirror, it should be your next must-watch movie on Netflix. "Election," which landed on Netflix November 5, comes from "The Holdovers" director Alexander Payne—a fact I just learned but that really shouldn't have surprised me, considering they're both overflowing with charm and memorable characters that are oh so much fun to hate. Despite plenty of love from critics (just look at its 92% Rotten Tomatoes score), "Election" was a bust at the box office, overshadowed by class-of-’99 highlights like "The Matrix," "Fight Club," and "American Beauty." Even with "Election's" high school backdrop and an iconic turn from Witherspoon as every teacher's worst nightmare, it’s not exactly what comes to mind when you think of ’90s teen movies. That's a shame, because it's one of those comedies I return to every few years when I need a good cackle. Tracy Flick could give Regina George or Heather Chandler a run for their money in the mean girl Olympics. That's why I just had to give this cult classic dark comedy a shoutout now that it's on Netflix. If you're looking for something funny to stream this week, here's why "Election" is worth adding to your Netflix watchlist. What is 'Election' about? Reese Witherspoon may have won her Oscar for "Walk the Line," but if you ask me, "Election" is truly the pinnacle of her career. She's iconic as the high-achieving student body president candidate Tracy Flick, the feral daughter of "Parks and Rec's" Leslie Knope and Cher from "Clueless." Her campaign slogan? "Pick Flick." She's the oh-so-annoying foil to her beleaguered civics teacher, Jim McAllister, a turn from Matthew Broderick that couldn't be further from his carefree "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off" persona. The kind of person who calls his friend and colleague Dave (Mark Harelik) a "good guy" after he's fired for seducing Tracy. With a Tracy-size chip on his shoulder, Jim stops at nothing to keep from winning the election, and his classroom lessons on morals vs. ethics come into play in increasingly hilarious and bizarre ways. He convinces a well-meaning jock with nary a brain cell named Paul (Chris Klein) to run against Tracy, and the race only gets messier when Paul's sister Tammy (Jessica Campbell) throws her hat in the ring to get back at her ex. To the school staff's horror, the student body overwhelmingly embraces her anarchic "Who cares?" platform and cheers at her promise to dismantle the student government once and for all. All the while, the central characters fight for the reins to tell the story. Each jumps into the narrator's chair at some point or another, often pausing on the most unflattering freeze frame to hijack the narrative and justify their deranged behavior. Stream 'Election' on Netflix now It's this ruthlessly self-aware running commentary that makes "Election" so memorable. Witherspoon's rant about how something totally absolutely did not bother her at all are just as funny the first time as the 100th, and Broderick's unassuming delivery cracks you up enough to forget I'm far from the only one with a soft spot for Payne's charming cult classic comedy. Variety's Todd McCarthy called it "A dark, insidiously funny satire on the self-involved ways otherwise rational people can allow narrow personal agendas to lead them astray to the point of self-destruction." Writing for the Chicago Reader in a retrospective, J.R. Jones called it "an instant classic" that "seems even more scathing now that we're losing control of our own election machinery." Even now, 26 years later, "Election" feels as sharp and fresh as ever in its satire of the petty backstabbing and maneuvering that define politics at any level. Rewatching it today, watching how Tracy's calculated campaign, deep unpopularity, and unflinching ambition make her a target for small men feels like deja vu for the 2016 election. Weightier themes about predatory behavior and flawed political systems peek out beneath the caustic humor and self-aware teen movie vibes, and with utterly charming performances all around, it's easy to see why Payne's black comedy is such a treat to revisit. Stream "Election" on Netflix now Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. More from Tom's Guide
