Jennifer's Body Movie Review

Jennifer's Body (2009)

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Written by: Diablo Cody
Directed by: Karyn Kusama
Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, Johnny Simmons, Chris Pratt, J.K. Simmons
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A newly possessed high school cheerleader turns into a succubus who specializes in killing her male classmates. Can her best friend put an end to the horror?

Verdict
It's horror that tries to be funny through dialog, but the dialog tries very hard to be witty and edgy. It's trying too hard, and that's one constant in this movie. I like the premise of two high school girls that are unlikely friends. The movie seemed poised to explore that dynamic of popular versus unpopular, but it's abandoned. They never act like best friends which derails that aspect of the premise.
Skip it.

Review
Similar to Juno, I don't like the dialog. Both by the same writer, the dialog detracts from the concept as it sounds like someone writing how they think teenagers sound. This forsakes realism for clever comebacks and put downs. It's dialog that's trying to be edgy, sacrificing the flow of conversation for one liners that are out of place. The dialog tries to be too cute.

Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox play Needy and Jennifer.

Jennifer (Megan Fox) and Needy (Amanda Seyfried) are the popular cheerleader and nerd. They would be enemies in many movies, but in this one we're told they're best friends except they never act like it. One of the premises of the movie is completely untrue. Their dynamic would work better if they were enemies. Needy's name seems like character description or some kind of satire, but that never plays out.

I wasn't sure how Jennifer became a demon, though it is answered much later in the movie. Why does Needy have visions of Jennifer's crimes as a demon? I assume it's because they are best friends, but what unlocked the ability and why doesn't it work both ways?

The catalyst for the movie is an indie band that is sacrificing to Satan for fame. There's enough of a premise to make a movie off of that. They think they've succeeded only to find out how wrong they were. The characters of the band aren't developed, but they do have a full story.

This is frequently over the top and indulgent, from the dialog to the gore to how lines are delivered. It plays to the campiness of the movie, but I don't think camp was the intention. I think the goal was wittiness, but that fell flat. It's forced and silly, trying too hard.