Hell is a teenage girl.
Fucking tell me about it. You couldn’t pay me to be a teenager again.
The stress of navigating self discovery and exploring freedoms with a generous lashing of hormones mixed in just to really amp up the crazy? No thank you. For some, it’s a hellish time; something Jennifer’s Body captures well, though in this case a little more literally.
When you strip back the plot, Jennifer’s Body is really about the relationship between best friends Jennifer (Megan Fox) and Needy (Amanda Seyfried). Certainly from my own experiences, the film manages to quite accurately convey the confusing dynamics of life as a teenage girl. It seems oddly appropriate that such an honest look at this awkward period in a woman’s life comes in the form of a quirky piece of genre film.
The title of the film itself comes from the song of the same name from rock band Hole, a female fronted band known for exploring feminist themes and gender issues within their music. Similarly, the horror comedy has been referenced as a feminist film since its initial release in 2009 – and Director Karyn Kusama’s work is notable for depicting strong female characters and exploring themes of gender and feminism.
Whilst a lot of the film focuses on the dynamic between the young women and their friendship, as Jennifer’s Body is fundamentally a horror film, it feels as though it has free rein to dig deeper than your typical teen flick. Think Mean Girls with lashings of blood and gore.
As always – Megan Fox is the epitome of hot girl, managing to look amazing even when dripping blood (though I think I may be kind of into that). The casting works well, as Fox manages to convince as the deadly man eater whilst simultaneously bringing naive charm to the character. Despite her flaws, you can’t help but love her. Jennifer is that girl that everyone knows, the popular girl everyone wanted to be or be with.
Comparatively, best friend Needy is somewhat plain and reserved, but throughout the film she never feels any ‘less’ of a character because of this. The viewer is introduced to Needy as a fully fleshed character, with her own interests and desires, although it is clear she admires the confident, bold Jennifer.
The dynamic between the two women is so familiar, cleverly exploring the bond shared between the childhood friends and exploring how they adapt as their lives begin to develop in different directions. Whilst Jennifer and Needy look like an unlikely pair, this friendship grown from early childhood has maintained – a sisterly connection which at times manifests physically for Needy as she seems attuned to Jennifer at a deeper level.
As the film progresses, boundaries are pushed and loyalty is tested. The confusion culminates in sexual exploration, with Jennifer literally devouring her best friend’s boyfriend near the conclusion.
Jennifer’s Body brings an interesting twist to the trope, with female sexuality actually empowering as opposed to enslaving. Jennifer is depicted as being overtly sexual, and unashamedly so – even before she becomes a literal man eater. Even the quiet Needy is shown to be a sexually liberated woman with her own desires, in a way that is refreshingly free of shame or moral ambiguity.
Rather than sex leading to the women’s demise, this sexual liberation actually enables the women opportunity to seek revenge on the men who considered them disposable.
As the film draws to a close, we are reminded of Needy’s journey – one which has brought her to a place of confidence as her own woman and severing ties with a friendship that has developed into a destructive influence. No longer in Jennifer’s shadow, Needy is able to explore her own power – and to someone who was once a teenage girl, this is all too familiar.
Jennifer’s body brings the horror to hormones and beneath the blood is a lovingly crafted coming of age tale that really showcases the savagery of teenager life.
