In 2000, the Canadian independent horror film Ginger Snaps featured a young girl transforming into a beast and preying on her male classmates. Nine years later, Diablo Cody and Karyn Kusama made a similar film, Jennifer’s Body. Both films have garnered cult status in the horror genre and their followings are mostly comprised of women.
Recently, Jennifer’s Body has received notable attention for containing feminist themes and an overt transgression of the cinematic male gaze. Meanwhile, Ginger Snaps’ similar motifs that appeared nearly ten years earlier go unnoticed. While Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody have not mentioned the 2000 film as inspiration, there are striking similarities between the two.
As mainstream popularity of Jennifer’s Body continues to increase, it is an opportune time to look back on Ginger Snaps as a prototype of Cody and Kusama’s film. Ultimately, they are standalone features that have not been tied as relating to each other. Regardless of this fact, both films have notable topics and themes in common.
Jennifer’s Body and Ginger Snaps Share A Plot
In both Jennifer’s Body and Ginger Snaps, the film follows two teenage girls; one is popular and dominant (Jennifer and Ginger), and the other is quiet and mousy (Needy and Brigitte). In the 2000 film, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) are sisters while Jennifer and Needy are best friends. Except, Needy (Amanda Seyfried) consistently comments on the fact that she has known Jennifer (Megan Fox) almost her entire life, making her like a sister. The two characters have a seemingly unbreakable bond.
As the titular character nears a moment that showcases her sexuality, she also meets her transformative fate. Jennifer becomes a demonic being after being sacrificed as a virgin, except she isn't one. Ginger becomes a werewolf after she is bitten by one that is enticed by the smell of her menstrual blood. The two begin to transform into overly sexual and bloodthirsty monsters that prey on their male classmates. As the films progress, both Jennifer and Ginger grow stronger and begin to manipulate and prey on the perceptively weaker characters Needy and Brigitte.
Jennifer and Ginger Challenge The Male Gaze
In Jennifer’s Body the titular character makes it abundantly clear that she is aware that her body is gazed upon by men, but she uses it to her advantage. With her seductive personality, she is able to manipulate the male gaze to her advantage. Jennifer’s use of her sexuality makes it possible for her to feed on men in abundance. She transgresses the male gaze by utilizing its most stereotypical form and attributes.
While Ginger does not start the film with the same level of overt sexual energy as Jennifer, her sex appeal grows as she transforms into a werewolf. After getting bitten, she arrives at school with a newfound confidence that attracts the attention of her male peers. Fueled by her appetite, she starts to prey on them. To Ginger, men grow weak and easier to prey on when they are enticed by her sexuality. Therefore, she transgresses the male gaze similarly to Jennifer.
Both of the titular characters refer to their consumption of men as being sexual or relating to sex in some way. Ginger compares eating someone to having sex with them, and Jennifer tells Needy that she “swings both ways” in regards to eating people. Jennifer and Ginger view their appetites as sexually charged, and use their own appeal in beneficial ways so they can sustain themselves.
Ultimately, the titular characters die at the hand of their counterparts. The films are not entirely the same by any means, as Jennifer’s Body features demonic possession and Ginger Snaps revolves around werewolves. However, it is worthy to note that these horror films have a very similar plot line, and the title characters share an identical transformation that leads to nearly the same use of their newfound strengths and abilities in these two classic feminist horror films.