Sunday, October 13, 2013

31 Days Of Halloween: Ginger Snaps (2000)

Hello, Bloggers, for today's review, I decided to discuss an older film that was released back in 2000 and is technically a foreign film as it's from Canada. In my opinion, this film is criminally underrated and as far as I know, is seen very little. That film is the inventive little gem known as Ginger Snaps.

                                               Story:
                               Ginger Snaps is about two teenage sisters named Ginger and Brigette Fitzgerald (Katherine Isabelle and Emily Perkins) who are obsessed with death. One night, on the eve of Ginger's first period, they decide to go for a walk, only for Ginger to be severely bitten by a wolf-like creature. Eventually, along with the help of a local pot dealer (Kris Lemche), Brigette realizes that her sister was bitten by a werewolf and she is becoming one too. That is when she tries to figure out a way to end Ginger's curse.

                                What I Liked About It:
                              What I thought was really neat about this film was how it uses lycanthropy or werewolfism as a metaphor for puberty. As Ginger is experiencing changes in her body, she experiences changes that she doesn't understand, which I think is how people normally feel when they first go through puberty. Except Ginger goes through much drastic changes, like growing a tail and sprouting fangs and such. Not only that, but the film touches on the dynamic of a sibling relationship. As Ginger is physically growing up and Brigette, her younger sister is not, they start to experience an emotional distance, which is something that many siblings can relate to as one sibling grows older than the other, that sibling develops newer interests and finds new friends, typically leaving the younger sibling in the dark and making them feel isolated. I commend this movie for taking a film with supernatural elements and blending it with realistic conflicts. Something that not many horror films do these days.

                               Another thing I want to mention is the performances from the two lead actresses. Katherine Isabelle is outstanding as Ginger, the sister who at first is timid like her sister, but after being bitten by a fierce creature, she herself slowly becomes one. Emily Perkins is also outstanding as Brigette, Ginger's more submissive sister who usually does her bidding, but slowly becomes stronger and independent as she tries to save her sister. I would even go out on a limb and say these two actresses gave some of the best performances in horror film history.

                               What I Didn't Like About It:
                              Nothing.

                               Consensus:
                             Overall, Ginger Snaps is a refreshingly original yet humanistic horror film that demonstrates the harshness of living as a teenager. It honestly may not be jump-out-of-your seat scary, but it definitely have its moments. Also, if you want a good scary movie to watch that's quite a gorefest, and even has werewolves, look no further.

Rating: 5/5

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