Jennifer’s Body (2009) – A Movie A Day 2021 #13
Jennifer’s Body (2009) – A Movie A Day 2021 #13
For the first time this year, I just watched a movie I’d seen before. I vaguely remember seeing Jennifer’s Body around the time it came out (probably in the theater), but all these years later I could not remember anything about it. I had a sense that I didn’t care much for it at the time, but I couldn’t articulate any reason why that might be. I’ve since grown to enjoy other movies by director Karyn Kusama and stars Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox, so when I came across a poster for Jennifer’s Body the other day it made me want to revisit the film. Then, when I was looking for something to watch last night, I stumbled across the extended version of the DVD that I must’ve picked up on one of my used-DVD buying trips and forgotten about. So my decision was made, and I watched the extended version of Jennifer’s Body. And I have to say, I really enjoyed it.
Jennifer’s Body stars Amanda Seyfried as Anita (or Needy as everyone calls her), a nerdy and reserved high school girl. Needy’s best friend since childhood is Jennifer (Megan Fox) who is popular and beautiful and, from an outsider’s perspective, the exact opposite of Needy. Jennifer drags Needy to a concert at a local bar in their small town, but after getting separated when a tragic event takes place at the bar, Jennifer begins acting strangely. As more deaths continue to rock the small town of Devil’s Kettle, Needy begins to suspect that Jennifer might be involved.
I’m deliberately leaving the specifics of the plot somewhat vague, but you can tell even from the trailer that Jennifer’s Body is something of a black humor, monster/supernatural horror movie. There is quite a bit of comedy mixed in with the blood and horror, and for the most part I think it all comes together very well. The comedy serves to enhance the horror rather than dilute it, and that’s something I appreciate in any movie like this. I can be pretty picky when it comes to horror comedies that I enjoy, and Jennifer’s Body has the tonal mixture that I like. The horror is treated seriously even when there might be jokey lines or situations surrounding it. That can be a fine line to tread, but when it works it can make for some great moments. And yeah, I think there are some great moments in Jennifer’s Body.
Another aspect of the movie really helps sell some of the more ridiculous situations are the lead actors. Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox play their roles extremely well, and I was buying into all the nuances their performances conveyed. Like, does Needy like Jennifer as more than a friend, and does Needy realize she likes Jennifer more than a friend? Is Jennifer jealous of Needy’s boyfriend Chip or is she just annoyed by him? Is Jennifer acting like she is because of what’s happened to her, or did her traumatic experience just bring up a lot of suppressed emotions so Needy is seeing her best friend’s true nature for the first time? These are some of the things that are unstated or often understated that I was thinking about in the earlier parts of the movie. A lot of that is explored to some degree before the final credits, but Seyfried and Fox do a great job of raising those questions with a few looks and gestures.
Plus, the movie’s writing is solid (it was written by Diablo Cody), and the direction is great. Karyn Kusama directed Jennifer’s Body, and even though I haven’t seen a ton of her work (probably because she’s been doing a lot of TV over the past five years and I don’t watch a ton of television), watching this movie again has solidified me as a Karyn Kusama fan. I first noticed her when I saw and loved The Invitation a few years ago, and now I need to see some of her other movies.
As for Jennifer’s Body, I think it has an undeservedly bad reputation. I think it got a decent following on home video after its not-so-great theatrical run, but it’s barely above five stars on IMDB. That’s too low. It’s a fun horror movie with some decently bloody scenes and a lot of good, dark humor. If you, like me, haven’t seen it in years and have a hard time explaining why you might feel not-great about it, give Jennifer’s Body another shot. And watch the extended version if you can. I couldn’t tell you what’s different about it since I haven’t watched the theatrical cut again, but I can tell you that I enjoyed it.
P.S. This trailer makes Jennifer’s Body look a lot more jokey than I felt the extended version of the movie actually was while watching it. So, take the trailer with a grain of salt (like you should with most trailers anyway).