Key Takeaways:
– Initially overlooked, ‘Jennifer’s Body’ is now enjoying popularity as a classic feminist horror film.
– Both actress Megan Fox and director Karyn Kusama felt the promotional marketing focused too much on Fox’s physical attractiveness, disregarding the movie’s important themes.
– There’s a growing appreciation for the film’s discussion of vital societal issues like misrepresentation and sexism.
– The movie is currently available on Disney+.
The Appeal of ‘Jennifer’s Body’: A Timely Renaissance
Over a decade has passed since Megan Fox starred in the horror film ‘Jennifer’s Body’, and it’s enjoying an unexpected resurgence. Although the film was initially met with lukewarm reviews and bone-chilling box office figures, today it’s increasingly viewed as a favored Halloween watch and a cult classic that pioneered conversations around sexism and misrepresentation in Hollywood.
In a past interview with Collider, Fox expressed her surprise at how 20th Century Studios had marketed ‘Jennifer’s Body’. She explained her expectation that audiences would pick up on the movie’s social commentary, which she regarded as a “subtle satire”. However, viewers drowned in the sex appeal of the lead actress, failing to surface to grasp the film’s groundbreaking societal insights.
Celebrating ‘Jennifer’s Body’: A Film Ahead of Its Time
Fox insists the horror film’s inclusion in the coveted catalogue of respected classic, modern horror films was overdue. The cast and crew understood the depth and relevance of the film they were creating but, as Fox states, “it just wasn’t time.” Today, the star believes ‘Jennifer’s Body’ was more than a standard horror flick; it was “a decade ahead of its time”, and it’s taken society a while to catch up, finally recognizing the movie for what it was meant to be.
Jennifer’s Body’s Director’s Frustration with Studio Marketing
Karyn Kusama, the film’s director, has also expressed her frustration with the studio’s marketing methods. Kusama revealed to Vulture her displeasure with the focus on Megan Fox’s sex appeal over the narrative of her film — an intricate story centred on the friendship between the characters played by Fox and Amanda Seyfried.
The director’s attempts to communicate her concerns fell on deaf ears as responses focused on Fox’s appeal, a marketing angle that proportionately skewed the audience‘s perception of the movie. The real message of the film — highlighting societal struggles against patriarchy and the violence it could perpetuate against women — disastrously got lost in the process.
Rediscovering ‘Jennifer’s Body’: A Classic Feminist Horror
The oversimplified marketing strategy employed during the film’s release ultimately failed to sell the narrative’s intricacies, especially its exploration of societal issues that were controversial at the time. But, as with all successful horror films, ‘Jennifer’s Body’ has risen again from the dead.
Today, the film is receiving its deserved standing ovation as a trailblazing feminist horror movie, with viewers more in tune with its deeply embedded societal themes. As such, while the film’s initial reception was undoubtedly a grave miscalculation, ‘Jennifer’s Body’ has resurrected itself as a frightfully relevant horror flick.
Networks seem to have caught on to this movie resurrection, with Disney+ offering Jennifer’s Body on its platform for those brave enough to watch. The story of ‘Jennifer’s Body’ is a testament to knowing when to remain patient while the world catches up.
