Jennifer’s Body DVD Review

Diablo Cody took the world by storm with the release of Juno, and while I actually didn't enjoy it nearly as much as many, there was a certain something there that you had to appreciate. The film itself (though it's likely to get some retroactive attention now since it was directed by Jason Reitman) seemed solidly in the range of freshman writing and freshman big effort directing. Above-average certainly, but not quite as fantastic as the hype would lead you to believe.

But, there was a perspective in there that had to be admired, and made the film far more watchable than it deserved to be. There was a freshness, and a semi-bold attitude of telling things the way some uniquely "I" wanted to tell them, whether that worked or not. That was fun to watch, even if things leaned a little more toward the "or not."

Cody was next brought to our ears with United States of Tara, the cable series revolving around multiple personality disorder trying to make its way in suburbia. An odd concept thrown at you remarkably well.

Then things got weird.

Suddenly this hot new name was coming out with some crazy, teen horror flick with Megan Fox.

Jennifer's Body opens with Needy (Amanda Seyfried) in a mental institution, and she's going to spin us the yarn of how she got there. She'll tell us about how things were pretty normal, "until the killings," and if we didn't know where we were going before, we certainly do now.

We jump to the days just before the madness began, and we find Needy best friends with the titular Jennifer (it is a movie that would be fond of such wordplay). They've been best friends since they were tots, and Jennifer has grown into the most popular of beautiful, High School vixens, while Needy (spun from Anita) is bookish and unpopular, except by association. We soon learn that Jennifer runs the relationship, much to the chagrin of Needy's boyfriend Chip.

When Jennifer drags Needy to their small-town dive to hear a band she found via their MySpace page, things go crazy, and when the dust settles Jennifer has a taste for human flesh... and outstanding hair.

It's hard to avoid saying that from here things play out just as you'd expect them to, especially because in a sense they do. The plot, as delivered in a synopsis of events, is so standard it's laughable... which is part of the joke. This person is killed in this way, this boy is lured here and is stupid enough to go in, etc. The problem is that it doesn't actually play out like anything you've seen before.

There's a playful oddness to the way these events actually unfold that neuters any horror aspects it might have, and diverts the attention to something else. If our knowledge that Needy is alive at the end isn't enough, there is our too intimate relationship with the flesh-eater, and camptastic attitude to leave us unable to truly be scared by anything.

Like John Hughes throwing a demon into the mix of a script on a dare, there are levels of exploration to pick apart, but mostly there is just something raucously fun. A great soundtrack driving scenes home, and fun, crazy moments pulling you along. Later, you might think about things like youthful relationships and the pretty girls getting whatever they want, but in the moment it's just a certain sort of fun you can't explain very well.

It's interesting to put together the allegory on High School life, the way people treat each other, the stupidity of the young belief that you know anything, and that last straw that finally gets you to take off that BFF necklace, grow up, and be your own person, but that's more thought than is necessary.

Still, it is often a remarkably adept vehicle for inserting a few shots here and there without moving to a level of seriousness that is, let's be honest, rather pointless. We might, for example, say something very serious and dramatic about the unsettling state of our youth, and their willingness to do anything to get what they want. The "I Want" mentality, and lack of interest or concern for others that goes with it. But, we could also simply, and rather brilliantly, watch the cool, detached mannerisms of a group of goofs as they saunter into the woods carrying the girl they're going to sacrifice to Satan, as though this were the mildest sort of teen shenanigans.

The question is really whether or not a movie about a demon eating High School classmates can even possibly be a "good" movie. A lot of people will answer that in the negative, and you can only fault them so much really. But, if it is possible, this is the movie.

Rating:  

The Blu-Ray release comes with deleted scenes, a gag reel, and several featurettes. The standard version has only a feature commentary with director Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody, which is naturally also available on the Blu-Ray. Both include theatrical and extended versions of the film.

While the standard version doesn't throw a lot at you for bonus material, the commentary is well worth it for anyone who is remotely a fan of Cody. It's ultimately pretty standard fare as far as commentary tracks go, but Cody has a special charm that makes it a fun experience to sit down with her and watch the film. More importantly, there is a lot more discussion of the creation of the idea and putting scenes together, as opposed to simply a string of humorous anecdotes from filming that so often dominate these tracks.

It's a worthwhile purchase, but the lack of special features is likely to irritate many. This is especially true when such fan treats as video diaries are available on the Blu-Ray.

Own it on Blu-Ray and DVD today!

Jennifer's Body Trailer

Blu-Ray Features

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About Marc Eastman

Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

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