“A girl can only be a slut, a bitch, a tease, or the virgin next door.”
Ginger- Ginger Snaps
When Jennifer’s Body came out, the reviews were so bad that they scared me away. That was a mistake. Recently, the film has had a somewhat cult classic comeback. It’s not a comeback, though, because it was never a hit, to begin with.
The film was billed as a sexy, violent coming of age film. What Jennifer’s Body is, in reality, is a unique look at female friendship and how the sexualization of young girls can affect them. I think this turned off male viewers and, in turn, caused the film to bomb. The fact that it’s now a cult classic means that it’s finally reached its peak audience. Young girls.
The film starts slow and begins at the end of the story. This a trope that works maybe half the time, but it works here because it sets up a mystery that isn’t necessarily what the film is about. How did our protagonist end up where she is? While the movie tells the story of why and how she got where she is, the script focuses on the personal relationship between Needy and Jennifer.
Amanda Seyfried as Needy is genuinely remarkable. She is far and away the best part of the film. Seyfried is a highly underrated actress and does a wonderful job as the nerdy, smart, and quirky sidekick. But to be honest, the biggest problem with this film is the cast. Megan Fox isn’t great as Jennifer. She plays terrifying better than sexy, and her delivery of Diablo Coty’s script is laughable. Johnny Simmons’s performance is stilted and drab. Out of all the cameo’s or small parts in this, Adam Brody is by far the best.
The other great thing Jennifer’s body has going for it is the soundtrack. The music is this film is perfect. It captures the time and attitude of 2009. It also makes Adam Brody’s band Low Shoulder way more believable than another film might. They typical trope would be to make the bad a hardcore death metal band. Instead of being some typical goth rock band, they are an emo-pop band. Brilliant writing!
Jennifer’s Body solidly deserves cult classic status, and while it’s not perfect, it’s certainly better than its original critical reviews would tell you. Jennifer Seyfried is a star, and I hope she gets more opportunity to flex her acting chops. And the soundtrack, oh baby, the soundtrack!
