Jennifer's Body
Winning horror comedy from Juno writer
When it was released in the US, the heterosexual males who ogled Megan Fox’s superstructure amid the heavy-metal chaos of two Transformers movies stayed away in droves from Jennifer’s Body, and it’s not hard to see why. Karyn Kusama’s visceral horror film is tightly focused on gal rivalry, specifically between slutty cheerleader Jennifer (Fox) and wholesome good-girl Needy (Mamma Mia’s Amanda Seyfried).
Diablo Cody, who scripted breakout comedy Juno, has fashioned a darkly original take on the teen-horror genre here, as Jennifer and Needy’s trip to see a satanically-inclined local band leads to a bloodbath. While the small town of Devil’s Kettle mourns the deaths of nine high schoolers, Needy begins to notice that Jennifer has a newfound taste for human blood, targeting the fluids contained within their mutually coveted boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons).
With Cody’s script offering the same ingenious stream of uber-smart teen-jargon as in Juno, Jennifer’s Body is a lively update on the body horror genre that began with Carrie, with regular gouts of black bile spewing forth from Fox’s mouth. The result won’t please male audiences, but Jennifer’s Body’s warped take on girl power may well find a cult following long after the Megan Fox hype is done and dusted.
(15) 102min. General release from Wed 4 Nov.