Jawbreaker (film)

Jawbreaker is a 1999 American teen black comedy crime film written and directed by Darren Stein, and starring Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, and Judy Greer. It follows a group of teenage girls in an exclusive clique in their high school who attempt to cover up the murder of their best friend in a prank seemingly gone awry. Carol Kane, Pam Grier, Tatyana Ali, and Charlotte Ayanna appear in supporting roles.

Initially conceived by Stein as a horror film, the final screenplay for Jawbreaker instead adopted prominent elements of dark comedy and teen films, with Stein drawing inspiration from Heathers (1988), as well as elements of Carrie (1976) and the films of John Hughes. Stein explained his concept for the film as, "The jawbreaker just came to represent the duality of the poppy sweetness of the girls, of high school and of youth, versus the whole idea that this thing could break your jaw."

Jawbreaker was shot in Los Angeles, and premiered at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival before it was theatrically released in the United States on February 19, 1999 by TriStar Pictures. While it was a critical and commercial failure at the time of its release, it has come to gain a cult following.