If you’ve seen Jennifer’s Body then you already know how ridiculous this horror comedy is, and if you haven’t, well, that’s kind of up to you. But the fact is that in the history of horror movies there are those that are ridiculous, those that are downright horrible, and those that are kind of tough to watch. This movie is fairly gory, but not so over the top that one might cringe when watching the blood spew. If anything, there’s just enough blood and guts to be interesting, and there’s enough sexuality within the movie thanks to Megan Fox since at this time she was definitely still seen as a hot prospect because of her looks. But as far as her acting goes, well, that’s a subjective matter. She’s not horrible in this movie, but she’s not exactly Oscar material. It’s very easy to be forgiving of any lack on her part though since this movie wasn’t exactly one of those that came off in the way that the director and writer wanted, meaning it wasn’t as empowering or as uplifting as it could have been. The intent was there since the truth is that in a lot of horror movies women are terrorized, but one has to wonder if the two women that pushed this movie realized that there was already a great deal of female empowerment in horror that had been seen years before.
But getting into the movie, the fact that Jennifer and Anita, or ‘Needy’ as she’s called throughout the movie, are friends isn’t too surprising. When we’re kids we hang out with whoever we connect with. As we grow up it’s often seen that people split and branch off due to their own personal interests, which means some folks take one road and others take another. It’s a natural thing to do and it’s tough to stop since people feel the need to move in their own direction now and then. Needy and Jennifer’s friendship isn’t too hard to figure out since Jennifer is the dominant friend and the one that knows that Needy is dependent on her, even though it’s more than evident that Needy is emotionally and intellectually stronger than Jennifer.
When the two attend a concert at the town bar, Jennifer is taken by the band following a horrific fire in which many people are injured and some are killed, only to return later on to Needy’s house, covered in blood and ravenous as she attempts to eat a whole rotisserie chicken. When she vomits a black substance that prickles, for lack of a better word, for a moment, Needy has no idea how to react. But somehow, the next day, Jennifer is fine, clean, and completely nonchalant about the bar fire. Needy has no idea what’s going on but is appalled that the band, Low Shoulder, is hailed as heroes for trying to help people, which they didn’t do at all. As the days pass by and Jennifer continues to act strangely, she ends up seducing and killing the captain of the football team, ripping him open and leaving his body in the woods. It’s enough to note that after each kill she appears healthier, more vibrant, and even more gorgeous than she did before the fire.
While out on a date with the resident emo kid in the high school, Jennifer consumes him as well, but Needy senses something this time, as though she’s connected to Jennifer in a much deeper way. As things continue to happen, Needy takes it upon herself to look up in the library what might be going on, and miracle of miracles, after being told by Jennifer of how Low Shoulder sacrificed her to Satan for success, she survived. The trick was that the band thought they were sacrificing a virgin, but Jennifer hadn’t been a virgin for years. Instead of being sacrificed, she’s inhabited by a succubus, a demon that thrives on sex and has to consume flesh to survive. Eventually Jennifer seduces and kills Chip, Needy’s boyfriend, before Needy kills her in turn, stabbing Jennifer in the heart, which is the only way to get ride of the demon. Unfortunately, Needy is then taken to a mental institution, where she becomes known for her anger and her unnatural strength.
The story is done in a narrative style which sees Needy telling the tale from her cell, recounting what happened and how it all led to her current predicament. While it was kind of a silly movie it did end with a nice, expected twist. When Needy escapes the institution she tracks down Low Shoulder, and after doing so it’s seen that the band members have all been killed during the credits. All in all this movie is a bit goofy, but it’s a good time if you enjoy this kind of material without getting too serious about it.
Megan FoxJennifer
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