Jennifer's Body (2009) Dir: Karyn Kusama
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It's been a little while since I'd seen this Karyn Kusama directed cult classic teen horror comedy, from 'Juno' writer Diablo Cody. I was surprised by how much I didn't remember, especially at the start of the film.
The film addresses a wide array of themes, ranging from assault and exploitation to bisexuality and female empowerment. A lot of these are shown implicitly rather well, although I wouldn't exactly call them subtle. It really works as anti-patriachal cinema though. It uses the male gaze against its audience, weaponising it as a plot device very cleverly.
The story is a little too teen drama for my personal taste, but that doesn't mean it's bad by any means. I really enjoy the film from the midpoint onwards pretty much, it's only really the first half of the film that I'm not so fond of.
I don't know what Megan Fox was eating in the mid to late 2000's, except boys in this case, but she seemed to be excelling. This is by far her most famous role, and with good reason. She embodies the flirtatious, manipulative succubus character pretty much perfectly, and solidified herself as one of pop cultures favourite evil women I the process.
Amanda Seyfried has a lot of really strong scenes here, particularly in those correspondending with Fox. I will say, however, that I really did not like her opening and closing scenes. I appreciate what the film was trying to do, but it felt kind of jarring and did not suit Seyfried's acting at all. Beyond that, she was pretty damn good though.
Johnny Simmons feels near enough the same as every other appearance I've seen of his; a bit goofy, a little awkward and not quite charismatic enough to be an effective lead character. However, he was a pretty solid supporting character here, and while he is easily overshadowed by the two leading ladies, he's still oretty decent.
The film also has memorable supporting performances from the likes of J.K. Simmons, Kyle Gallner, Chris Pratt and Amy Sedaris. They didn't have too much to do, but, of the four, Simmons stood out the most, for his wig as much as anything else.
Overall, I think I have a similar opinion on the film as I did the last time I watched it. I think it's got some great shots and themes, but it feels a little too American teen movie for my taste. That said, it's a pretty good film and I can see why it became and has since stayed a beloved modern horror film.
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