Jennifer's Body

Jennifer's Body (2009)
Directed by Karyn Kusama
Length: 102 minutes
Rated R for sexuality, bloody violence, language, and brief drug use




Horror has never been my genre of choice, though I have developed an appreciation for its nuances as I have grown as a movie critic. The sub-genre of horror-comedy (i.e. over-the-top violence, play on stereotypes, tongue-in-cheek humor) especially has become a favorite of mine in recent years. From the campy classics such as Sam Rami's Evil Dead trilogy to the modern masterpieces like Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead, few directors attempt horror-comedy, and even fewer do it well. Jennifer's Body is just such an attempt: hints and elements of a good movie that ultimately fails to capture the right mix of campy and scary.

Set in the small town of Devil's Kettle, there is little to do and even less excitement. All of this changes when a big city band playing a gig at the local watering hole meets Jennifer, a mischievous and "sexy" young girl they believe is a virgin: just perfect for the human sacrifice the band needs to offer the devil to become famous. Unfortunately for the band, Jennifer is anything but a virgin; this little factor results in a literal man-eating demon possessing Jennifer's body, with an insatiable appetite for man meat (keep it clean, readers!).

Playing the titular role is current male fantasy Megan Fox (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Jonah Hex). Personally, I still don't understand the infatuation with Fox. I find her look to be the product of Revlon and Maybelline, and her acting consists of being a sexual item. Aside from my personal beef, she is perfect for this role if simply because of those factors. Though I can't imagine her winning an Oscar anytime soon, she does know how to be the sultry seductress.

Though the film was a box office disaster and suffered horrible reviews, my initial interest stemmed from the writer of the screenplay, former stripper turned Oscar winning writer Diablo Cody. Many of you may be familiar with her previous work, 2008's darling Juno and perhaps her current series on Showtime The United States of Tara. If you have seen Juno, than you have an idea of what to expect this go around: more dialogue that would seem appropriate in any modern text message, lots of subtle sexuality, and lots of modern stereotypes that can be found at your local mall. While this may not seem appealing, it was well done in Juno; unfortunately this go around is less than stellar.

Though my expectations were not that high, especially considering the focus on Ms. Fox, I was still hoping Diablo Cody could deliver another great film a la Juno. Unfortunately, everything just falls flat. The movie is caught between wanting to embrace its campiness and being a social commentary on the teenage pressure to be beautiful and sexual. Instead, we get a poorly narrated story that tries to flash-forward to any scene involving Megan Fox being "sexy." While it isn't awful, I can think of better things to do with two hours of your life.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote:
Nikolai Wolf: "I think it's important to reach out to our fans in the shitty areas, too."