Jennifer's Body (2009)

A newly possessed cheerleader turns into a killer who specializes in offing her male classmates. Can her best friend put an end to the horror?

Director:

Karyn Kusama

Writer:

Diablo Cody

Stars:

Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Megan Fox	...	Jennifer
Amanda Seyfried	...	Needy
Johnny Simmons	...	Chip
Adam Brody	...	Nikolai
Sal Cortez	...	Chas
Ryan Levine	...	Mick
Juan Riedinger	...	Dirk
Colin Askey	...	Keyboardist
Chris Pratt	...	Roman Duda
Juno Ruddell	...	Officer Warzak
Kyle Gallner	...	Colin Gray
Josh Emerson	...	Jonas Kozelle (as Joshua Emerson)
J.K. Simmons	...	Mr. Wroblewski
Amy Sedaris	...	Needy's Mom
Cynthia Stevenson	...	Chip's Mom

Storyline

Nerdy reserved bookworm Needy, and arrogant, conceited cheerleader Jennifer are best friends, though they share little in common. They share even less in common when Jennifer mysteriously gains an appetite for human blood after a disastrous fire at a local bar. As Needy's male classmates are steadily killed off in gruesome attacks, the young girl must uncover the truth behind her friend's transformation and find a way to stop the bloodthirsty rampage before it reaches her own boyfriend Chip.

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Plot Keywords:

Cheerleader | Fire | Best Friend | Virgin | Blood | 

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Taglines:

She's evil... and not just high school evil.

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 September 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Diabólica tentación

Filming Locations:

Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£736,535 (UK) (6 November 2009)

Gross:

$16,204,793 (USA) (20 November 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Atomic

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 107 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lance Henriksen:  The driver who picks up a hitchhiker at the end.

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Goofs

In the Melody Lane bar, Jennifer returns with a tray of the two "9-11" drinks. She says, "Tower 1 isn't full enough." The camera cuts away and when it cuts back "Tower 1" is more full (blue layer). The camera cuts away again, and when cutting back, "Tower 1" is back to it's previous lower level.

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Quotes

Jennifer Check: I mean, they did go all "Benihana" on my ass with that knife, and it should've killed me, but for some reason... it didn't.

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Crazy Credits

Over the first part of the credits we are shown the events leading up to the fate of Low Shoulder

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Connections

Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers (2009)
under Diablo Cody's name in graphic

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Soundtracks

"Teenagers"
Written by Hayley Williams
Performed by Hayley Williams
Courtesy of Fueled by Ramen
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

The Incompletion of Great Premise...

When Jennifer's Body was first announced to me, I met the idea with cautious curiosity. The idea of Megan Fox playing an evil high school beauty queen who eats the boys she seduces sounded... interesting, to say the least. When the trailer finally emerged, I got excited. Seriously. The combination of thrilling and funny hadn't been explored well at the theater in a long time.

Unfortunately, it still hasn't been explored well; at least not very well. The movie understands what it's going for: a comic horror film with just enough gore and jumps to be jarring and plenty of witty dialogue to stay fresh. The problem is, the two don't seem to meld together very well at any point. It's hard to say whether this has more to do with Diablo Cody's script or Karyn Kusama's direction; neither is at it's full potential here. Although, on recollection of the film, the too-random use of humor sometimes seems to have been the biggest problem.

But let's talk about what works. The leads are both very good. It was Megan Fox who got lots of good buzz about proving she could actually act, but Amanda Seyfried really impressed me more with her edgy role. The performances of both are worthy of accolades. They bring honesty and realism to what could have become total caricatures, and their performances help paint the deeper themes of the movie quite well.

Yes, there are deeper themes. It's not too hard to spot what Ms. Cody is trying to talk about here: The relationships girls have with each other. The whole 'Frenemies' idea that so defines high school girls. It's an interesting concept to examine, and it could have made for a truly entertaining AND thoughtful film.

But it simply isn't. While it wants to get there, it gets too lost in trying to be hip and current and 'alternative' to really become a film. And while the tension builds decently toward the finale, it all leads up to a climax that... doesn't really climax.

However, this is not to say Jennifer's Body isn't worth watching. Hell, I was entertained, and there are some sexy little scenes in there. The disappointment lies in thinking about what the premise promised, a promise that sadly wasn't quite fulfilled... 6/10 stars

Jay Addison