"Hell, yes!" In the fall of 2009, I happened to see "Jennifer's Body" on the big screen when it was released in movie theaters. I'll be totally honest. I took a chance on this movie and was very skeptical at first. But I really, really, really loved this movie! The reason why I liked it is because I understood it. Like the dark comedy, "Heathers" (1988), which loosely inspired it, "Jennifer's Body" is a dark supernatural coming of age story. (Both movies contain lots metaphors.) At the time when it was released, reviews for "Jennifer's Body" were mixed; a reflection of the fact that many movie reviewers were confused by the story. Is it a horror movie or a comedy? They didn't understand that it is a mixture of both - a coming of age story disguised as a teen horror movie with some black comedic elements, set in a high school.
But the real horror is not the killings shown on screen, but the pain of adolescence. It's not the girl who becomes possessed by a demon and turns into a serial killing machine that is so horrible, but rather that high school can be a mean, vicious, cruel, brutal, and very scary place. (Not for everyone, but certainly for some.) The real monster of the story is not the possessed cheerleader, but what some people transform into as they grow older and leave behind the innocence of their childhood. If you understand that, then the entire movie makes sense. However if you don't understand that or you are expecting a slasher movie which this isn't, you will be disappointed. (Look for the metaphors to understand what the story is really about!)
But "Jennifer's Body" is also a lot of fun. My favorite line in the movie is: "She can fly?!!" The humorous moments are intended to give the audience an occasional break from the oppressive darker aspects of the story, which deals with a difficult painful age for young people.
The writing and dialogue were really good, as was the directing. As for Fox's acting - she was fine and did a great job bringing the main title character to life. One of the strengths of "Jennifer's Body" is that it is a breath of fresh air in the era of massive "reboots", prequels, sequels, and remakes. It tried break away from the current trend of movies by doing something totally different. I respect the makers of this film, writer Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama, for what they tried to accomplish with this movie. Unfortunately there are way too many filmmakers in Hollywood who keep recycling the same old material again and again. Yet when Cody and Kusama tried to do something new and original, they got viciously attacked for it. Screw the naysayers! As far as I'm concerned, "Jennifer's Body" was one of the better movies of 2009.
What shocked me the most was not the content of this movie, but the way some critics had brutally attacked it. It should be pointed out that Roger Ebert, one of the most respected and best reviewers out there, gave "Jennifer's Body" a B / Three Stars! (As for all those reviewers who bashed this movie, it is clear that they certainly didn't understand it. I'm so glad that I didn't listen to them and saw this movie on the big screen anyway.)
Although this film may not have done very well at the box office, that is NOT an indication that it is in anyway a bad movie! (Some of Hollywood's greatest movies were not a box office success, while some of its worst were.) J.B. will live on and definitely develop a strong cult following. Not only am I recommending "Jennifer's Body", but bought it as soon as it was released on DVD and look forward to watching it again and again! (For other diehard fans like myself, there is also a 112 page companion graphic novel to "Jennifer's Body" by BOOM! Studios that expands the story with additional new material.) My one and ONLY complaint about "Jennifer's Body" is the DVD commentary could have used a little more energy from the commentators.
I really love this movie and wish there were more movies like it. As the ads for this movie indicated, hell is definitely a teenage girl!!!
2009
Megan Fox stars in this horror-comedy about a sexy high school cheerleader who develops an insatiable appetite for her male classmates after she's possessed by a hungry demon.
DETAILS
Megan Fox stars in this horror-comedy about a sexy high school cheerleader who develops an insatiable appetite for her male classmates after she's possessed by a hungry demon.
Release date:
2009
A owned cheerleader turns into a killer who focuses on offing her male classmates. Could her best friend put an end to the horror?
Released: 2009-09-18
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Casts: Amanda Seyfried, Megan Fox, Johnny Simmons, Amy Sedaris, J.K. Simmons
Duration: 100 min
Country: United States of America
Production: Fox Atomic, Dune Entertainment