GINGER SNAPS: MOVIE AS METAPHOR

Movies as metaphors (that is a movie whose plot discusses a topic while not exactly using the original idea as the plot) work either extremely well or fall flat on their face. I can't recall a movie as metaphor ever just sort of working. When they fail they do so miserably. When they succeed they just make the movie that much better. Such is the case with GINGER SNAPS.

While most teen movies discuss the problems they all face (i.e. acne, dating, peer pressure) it is rare that they discuss things like puberty, especially the monthly changes that women experience. Sure it was touched on in CARRIE but never to the degree that it gets in this film. And here it combines the literal changes right beside the metaphorical ones.

Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) are two awkward sisters, outcast among the teens in their school. Obsessed with their kinship, given to that dark and brooding teen sensibility and a fascination with death, the two have made a pact to die together at 16. Ginger is there, Brigitte is a year away.

One night when they sneak out of the house, they are attacked by something that has been killing animals in their neighborhood. It turns out the creature that attacks them is a werewolf and while Brigitte survives intact, Ginger has shredded limbs and bite marks. As they run to escape the attacking werewolf they cross a street in front of a van that smashes the werewolf.

Returning home they notice immediately that Ginger's wounds have already begun to heel themselves. As the days progress more changes in Ginger become apparent: a sense of empowerment, a confidence that was lacking before, an aggressive nature against the bully that constantly taunted Brigitte and a certain amount of sexual appetite heretofore unseen. Unaware of most of the changes their mother (Mimi Rogers) explains it all as her daughter "becoming a woman". But Brigitte knows the truth of the matter.

As the bond between sisters begins to weaken while Ginger slowly changes, Brigitte finds a friend in Sam (Kris Lemche), a weed selling greenhouse owner whose van was the vehicle that killed the werewolf. He wants to know exactly what it was he killed and a picture Brigitte dropped has given him a clue. Their friendship grows while the sister's bond lessens, all in the hopes of finding a cure for Ginger before it is too late.

All of this is the meat and potatoes of the story but it is the garnish that makes this film work on all levels. The usual werewolf concepts are turned on their head in some cases and explored by the sisters in their search for a cure. An incredible amount of humor is mixed with the cautionary tale here that works so well that you find yourself fearful one moment and laughing in the next. Not since SHALLOW HAL has a tail garnered this much screen time. All of it jells to make a movie that is both frightening and fun at the same time.

Isabelle's performance here as the changing Ginger is wonderful as she transforms not from human to monster but from backwards semi-Goth to high school temptress. It's not just the make up and appearance that makes the change work so well it's the performance combined with that.

Equally up to the challenge is Perkins as the backwards Brigitte. The make up department had to work equally well to give her a plain Jane look, not quite homely but an appearance that doesn't give her a chance to stand out. Here too if it were not for the performance she offers the make up would not have worked.

I remember seeing this long ago when it first came out and not thinking much of it. I'm glad I had the chance to revisit this film. I found myself captivated by the movie drawn into the story and enjoying it much more than I did the first time around. Scream Factory has outdone themselves with the quality of the movie, offering a clean yet not overly done print that surpasses any offered before. The extras give us a glimpse into what the director, writer and crew were attempting here (and succeeding at) and are as enjoyable as the movie. In the end this is one to add to any growing horror fan collection and worth watching for all others. You won't be sorry you did so. Now it's time to see if Scream Factory will do the same with the sequel.

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