Way back in 2009, an independent movie called "Juno" made a splash. It was the first film written by Diablo Cody, who has gone on to write several more, including the excellent "Young Adult" and "Tully." I had never gotten around to seeing her second project, “Jennifer's Body,” but Amazon Prime started promoting it to me, with a picture of Megan Fox. Let's just say that Amazon knows what makes me tick.
Fox and Amanda Seyfried play high school BFFs, with Fox as hot cheerleader Jennifer, and Seyfried as cute nerd Needy. When Jennifer gets possessed by a demon that requires her to feed on blood once a month, it puts a strain on the friendship.
Neither Fox nor Seyfried is likely to be the next Meryl Streep, and, in fact, I would say the acting in “Jennifer's Body” is mediocre across the board. Even the usually-excellent J.K. Simmons seems to have trouble figuring out what tone to hit at times. Fortunately, the story is good enough to overcome that, exploring the dynamics of teen friendship, lesbian attraction, sexual politics, and even the plight of independent rock bands. (Also, the actresses are pretty easy on the eyes, especially Megan Fox, who is so good-looking, it's difficult to look directly at her. One caveat: Despite the stars looking great in lots of cute outfits, and despite all the gory violence, there is no nudity in the film.) Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama blend a little bit of horror with a lot of satire, with a result that is reminiscent of “Heathers,” and definitely better than the typical teen horror flick.
The film has a number of themes, and if you wanted to dig deeply, you could probably write a graduate thesis on the movie. Jennifer's monthly thirst for blood is obviously an allegory for menstruation. The movie also explores the limits of sexual power. Jennifer is a girl who has learned she can use her body, as many girls do, to get attention and to get what she wants. Being an object of desire turns out to be a pretty blunt tool, though. It's a weapon whose effects tend to spread beyond the intended target (including to Jennifer's best friend), and it doesn't really work out for Jennifer. It isn't just the demon; everyone wants to possess Jennifer's body.
3.5 stars out of 5
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