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Movie Review

A Girl Power Horror Comedy

Jennifer's Body Review

Sep. 20, 2009 - by Syd Slobodnik – buzz Writer

Director Karyn Kusama, known for her impressive first feature Girlfight, has teamed with Oscar winning screenwriter Diablo Cody to create one of the darkest, weirdly funny, yet oddly effective girl power horror films ever.

The film begins in an almost Stephen King-like fashion, set in a small town of Devil’s Kettle and concerns a popular high school girl named Jennifer (Megan Fox) and her best gal pal Needy. One evening, they primp up to hear a hot indie-rock band at a local bar. When band members, lead by lead guitarist Nikolai (Adam Brody), drag Jennifer into an occult ritual, it backfires turning her into a crazed demon who sets off on a killing spree of fellow male classmates.

From the film’s opening line: “Hell is a teenage girl”, Cody laces the script with her trademark realistic frankness and sarcastic bitterness. While the film’s central message and tone isn’t always the most coherent, Cody’s emphasis on the special chemistry between girlfriends and the unique powers of being a sexually attractive female makes this story humorously fascinating.

Megan Fox's does a good job here, with her pin-up looks hitting the perfect blend of the arrogant seductive teen and the vengeful possessed killer. However, it is Amanda Seyfried’s Needy who nearly steals this show with her sensitive, thoughtful narration and insights into the frightful events in her friends’ lives that make this story exceptional. Needy’s relationship with her nerdy boyfriend, Chip (Johnny Simmons), is handled with such tenderness, it provides a nice contrast to the uglier plot twists and goriness of Jennifer’s exploits.

The film plays off numerous horror film conventions and clichés with fresh sarcasm. And with lines like, “A bar burned down and our star linebacker was turned into someone’s snack pack” you smile through the film’s blood and gore. There’s even a crack about seeking the truth from Wikipedia. Jennifer’s Body is a refreshingly dark take on the worn traditions of the teen horror film that’s simply a lot of fun.

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