As a jewel of the queer horror subgenre, Jennifer’s Body holds up as a feisty example of female empowerment with a pair of fangs attached. Despite its initial box office blunder, it’s safe to say that Jennifer’s Body is regarded as a genuine cult classic today, and therein lies its power. Some masterpieces aren’t fully appreciated until their expected heyday has passed, which just makes them all the more celebrated later on. With enough subtext to study in a classroom, a skeleton of a successful horror story, and a hot-pink aesthetic that somehow makes bloodlust look beautiful, Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried star in a retrospective accomplishment within many critical and casual viewing circles.
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The story follows queen bee Jennifer Check and her bookish best friend Anita “Needy” Lesnicki as Jennifer starts devouring boys at Devil’s Kettle High School after a scary night out. As a Vox article outlined, “When Jennifer’s Body premiered, it was viewed as a sex romp for straight teen boys, and as such, it was a failure.” This mis-marketing took advantage of the perfect recipe for a cheesy and sleazy comedy and seemed to shield viewers from the true essence of the story. It’s an intimate portrait of female relationships, the struggle to control the inherent rage of girlhood, and a commentary on the epidemics of assault and exploitation. Here’s why Jennifer’s Body went from loved to hated in a decade.
It’s a Time Capsule of the 2000s
Twentieth Century Fox
From the vantage point of the 2020s, looking back at 2000s movies like Jennifer’s Body evokes a sense of nostalgia and fondness for that fateful decade. When it was released in 2009, it externally appeared similar to every other high school flick when it was released. But now, since we’re a bit further removed from that section of the calendar, watching it these days feels different from watching it back then. Visually, we see a lot of the iconic fashion choices of the day – Jennifer’s unforgettable pink velour tracksuit jacket with red hearts, Needy’s poofy Spring Formal dress in a vibrant shade of fuchsia, mini skirts, low-rise jeans, and lacy tank tops.
In terms of auditory reminiscence, the film makes use of a soundtrack filled with favorites of the era. Panic! at the Disco’s “New Perspective” serves as the most recognizable throwback track that kind of sets the pace for the remainder of the film. Cobra Starship, All Time Low, Hayley Williams, and Silversun Pickups also make appearances. Other musical acts and bands contribute to the overall alternative rock vibe with a tasteful touch of emo yearning. Audiences also hear a lot of Y2K slang throughout the movie, like “jello” and “salty,” along with some unfortunate utterances of the R-slur because, well, this is a 2000s movie.
It Examines the Complexity of a Queer Coming-of-Age
At its heart, Jennifer’s Body is a quiet exploration of the queer experience, though the unrated version of the film dives deeper into this facet of the story. Jennifer starts to hunt down boys that Needy likes, potentially because she wants to clear all the competitors in their way. And let’s not forget the fact that she fatally wounded Needy’s boyfriend. Maybe, the most looming force at work isn’t Jennifer’s devilish new persona or Low Shoulder, but the rearing head of her blooming sexuality and her ownership over it. The climactic pool scene is one of the final face-offs of the film between Needy, a dying Chip, and a floating Jennifer (“she’s just hovering, it’s not that impressive”). When Jennifer turns her gaze towards her bestie, Needy says, “Thought you only murdered boys,” and of course, Jennifer retorts, “I go both ways.” This obvious nod to bisexuality solidifies that there’s something solid here to look into, especially over 10 years after the film’s release.
Being a teenage girl is hard enough, but a teenage girl who undergoes a newfound hunger for flesh and blood, plus a taste for the lips of her best female friend? The less-accepting attitude of the era, as well as the several homophobic lines and inferences, puts this aspect into perspective a bit more. It explains why its subtext isn’t as blatant as it could be – the film would probably be much more obvious about that factor of the story if it were produced today. This also gives the audience some straws to grasp at as they clarify the full picture of a complicated coming-of-age experience, which can be interpreted as a relatable premise to teen girls in the closet.
It Sees Wronged Women Seek Retribution
It can be argued that the entirety of Jennifer’s Body functions as a revenge fantasy, centering around the exploitation of Jennifer and the way she seeks to settle the score and take back her power. Whether she intends to or not, she exacts her violence on men after her failed sacrifice at the hands of Low Shoulder that turned her into a blood-sucking succubus. In essence, Jennifer was coerced into getting into a van with strange men, resulting in her body being taken advantage of in a life-altering manner. While it’s not the exact same circumstances as most real-life instances of assault, the movie’s brutal portrayal of these happenings struck a cord with recent societal conversation. The Everyday Magazine noted that “the collective cultural reckoning that followed in the wake of the #MeToo movement saw the spotlight blazoned onto the very themes that were explored by the film a decade earlier.”
Needy’s characterization also expands on this theme, coming to a head at the end of the film. While she is responsible for killing Jennifer, her choice functions as a way of getting even after Jennifer kills Chip. The story ends with Needy escaping from her institution thanks to her hidden powers, and promptly hitting the road to hit the band where it hurts. As the credits roll, viewers watch the aftermath of Needy’s revenge through snapshot style, capturing the demise of Low Shoulder as she evens the playing field again in her best friend’s honor. Jennifer’s Body succeeds because of many aspects, each of which come together to paint the perfect picture of the 2000s while it conducts its own embedded analysis.
