summer work task 3

 movie review of jennifer's body

Jennifer’s body is a film released in 2009 is described as a feminist horror film that centres around the complexities and occasionally parasitic nature of female friendships. This film was written by Diablo Cody, directed by Karyn Kusama and stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody.

The film depicts the story of two best friends, Jennifer and Needy (jennifer being a popular teenager and Needy being shy and insecure) who go to a high school in devils kettle, Minnesota. After a failed sacrifice to satan by an indie band, Jenifer is possessed by a demon and is transformed into a succubus. She must then survive on eating human flesh, and goes after the boys at her school by luring them to secluded locations with the promise of sex. Needy attempts to stop her and it culminates in her stabbing Jennifer in the heart, killing her and the demon, and then being sent to an asylum.

The film was originally written with the intent of it appealing to a young female audience, witch the screen play writer describing it as a commentary on girl-on-girl hatred, sexuality, and the death of innocence. It was supposed to be something young girls could relate to and see parts of themselves in, however the marketing for the movie did not reflect that. The film was released not long after Megan Fox began to be seen as a sex symbol, and so the marketing team took that and presented the film in its trailers and posters as a cheap movie designed to appeal to young boys’ fantasies. This led to a slew of bad reviews and ratings once the movie was released, as the movie was written for young girls, but very few went to see it because of the way it was presented to the public. As a result, many young boys one to see it but as it wasn’t written with the intention of appealing to them, many where disappointed.

The actual film itself is very interesting to watch, as it uses he idea of a young woman turned to a monster as a metaphor for coming of age (which can be seen in other horror films such as “Carrie”) to effectively show the changes many girls go through when they reach high school age. The film blends different genres well, as it it primarily a horror film with elements of comedy as well as a satirical tone. What makes the movie so good is that although the movie is like stepping into a time machine back into 2009, the dialogue and relationship between the two main characters could easily be reflected in the modern day, as it. Focuses mire about the actual people rather than the world around those people. The movie seems to hold up a mirror to he audience, as it satirises different roles young people can fall into while young, and it is easy to see parts of yourself in all of the different characters.