Gremlins Online!

Guest review by: Nikki

What does it mean when a young woman sprouts hair where there used to  be none, has rollercoaster type mood swings, and they bleed from between their legs? It could be the beginning of womanhood or…..the beginning of transforming into a werewolf.

This movie, filmed in Canada in 2000, and released a year later, is called Ginger Snaps. It focuses on the lives of two sisters; Ginger, a feisty red headed beauty played by Katharine Isabelle, and Brigitte, an angular “emo” type portrayed by Emily Perkins.
Being a teenage girl can be hard at the best of times, but Ginger and Brigitte have a harder time than some. Unfortunately it seems to be their own doing because they are obsessed with death and seem to take great joy in acting this obsession out. Example: For a school project they take pictures of each other in different types of death poses with cryptic messages and notes pinned to their “lifeless” bodies.
Naturally, the other teenagers would pick on them unmercifully for their odd behaviors.
That lasts until until the night when something hairy and blood thirsty decided to take a bite out of a newly menstruating sister!
Shortly after this, the fun and games begin with plenty of body shaving and assuredly unsanitary body piercing.

The typically dysfunctional family dynamic is observed during the course of the film, seemingly from the girls’ perspective. They have a father that has little to no clue about his children’s lives, and a mother who is oblivious to the real inner workings of her offspring, but yet tries to protect them as she can. (Severed digits get stored in Tupperware,  and of course she made sure to burp the container).

Along with the typical teen angst there is an actual message about how traumatic being a teenage girl can be for some, and how horrific those  chemical and physical changes can be.
Of course, these points are often missed on most people who focus on just how “hot” Ginger is and the fun and gore at points.
The beginning of sexual tension and lust in teenage girls is even addressed when Ginger admits “I’ve got this ache, and I thought it was for sex, but it’s to tear everything to f*cking pieces.”
This really is a coming of age flick with fur and blood if I’ve ever seen one, Ginger Snaps even makes light of STDs and their transmission. (side note if you pee blood after amazing sex you might just have slept with a werewolf, see your doctor).

Depending on how you feel about “coming of age” stories, this could be a huge flop or a sparkling addition to your horror library. There seems to be very little middle ground.
I thought it was wonderful and own both the second movie and the third which is a prequel of sorts.

Nikki’s Verdict:
Without managing to spoil the movie for you I’d say it is worth at least one viewing!