Though not on the same level as Peter Jackson's earlier horror/dark-comedy flicks as this one isn't as truly imaginative as those, Heavenly Creatures still does a well enough job at showcasing a dramatic turn for the director, and its inclusion of psychological/dark fantasy elements are very much welcomed here as they are most certainly effective, even if only slightly.
Both Melanie Lynskey & Kate Winslet do mostly substantial work in this for their feature film debuts for sure, and their notorious characters in the film are no doubt incredibly credible as they convincingly portray two teenage girls whose passionate intimacy leads them into dire consequences with enough validity.
Props to Jackson for retaining the same slick & exuberant camerawork from his prior works too as that also made Heavenly Creatures somewhat more suitable, even if it does get a bit too exaggerative on some occasions due to the film's disquieting subject matter at hand.