Jennifer’s Body is a horror-comedy directed and written by Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody. It’s about a high school cheerleader who becomes possessed by a demon and kills her male classmates. The film explores the male gaze, friendship, sexuality, and the nature of evil. Jennifer’s Body ultimately challenges normal gender roles as a horror comedy, exhibiting the power of its female characters by subverting societal expectations.

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The audience is introduced to the two main characters, Needy Lesnicki and Jennifer Check. Needy, a nerdy girl, is cheering on her best friend and popular cheerleader, Jennifer, during a prep rally. Even though they have different personalities, they still maintain their childhood friendship. Things take an unexpected turn when they both go to a local bar to see an indie band called Local Shoulder. Jennifer and Needy escape a fire that occurs after the band’s performance. After escaping, the band approaches both of them, offering a ride. Jennifer goes with them, even when Needy protests against her. Hours go by, and Needy finds Jennifer in her kitchen covered in blood and throwing up black liquid all over the floor. What happened to Needy’s best friend?

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The term ‘femme fatale’ is concisely defined as a seductive woman who lures men into a situation in which she is compromising or dangerous (Merriam-Webster). The femme fatale figure was trendy in 1940s and 1950s Hollywood films. Specifically, those that took on the role of the dark thriller genre, which includes lies and murder; typically, these films had a beautiful woman who quickly caught the attention of the male protagonist. At the film's end, she is punished with death for her transgressions. In a way, this is a metaphor for the male anxieties about women having their independence. As the years have passed, the femme fatales have been reimagined as feminist characters that are misunderstood. Soon into the 1980s and 1990s came characters like Spider-Woman, a personification of male anxieties surrounding female sexuality (Alonso). A trope of the femme fatale is the femme castratrice when a female character avenges the male character(s) that raped her (Creed). The female character would become her own throughout the film. An example of the femme fatale and its evolution is Jennifer’s Body.

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On the same night of the fire, Local Shoulder performed a ritual on her as a sacrifice in return for the band becoming famous. The only issue is that the band had the impression that Jennifer was a virgin, but she was not. Instead of dying from the ritual, she survives, returning to life as a demon feasting on human flesh. Compared to other horror films, like Halloween (1978), Prom Night (1980), Friday the 13th (1980), and It Follows, the characters that have sex ultimately die. Although, spoiler alert, this is the case at the film's end for Jennifer but not for Needy.

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Monsters can serve as metaphors for whatever humans fear. The ‘monstrous feminine’ represents a female character inhabiting dangerous and monster-like qualities often associated with sexual power and disruption of societal norms. Barbara Creed coined this term. Jennifer embodies the monstrous feminine when a demonic being possesses her and begins to prey on high school boys. When Jennifer seduces and consumes Colin, one of her fellow male students, she demonstrates the monstrous feminine. In this scene, Jennifer seduces Colin into a deserted building before having sex with him. As the action continues, Jennifer morphs into a terrifying creature with pointed teeth and a ravenous appetite for human flesh, revealing her demonic origins. By showing a female character as the aggressor and the one who initiates the sexual interaction while also depicting her as a terrible predator, this scenario subverts conventional gender roles and expectations. It disproves the idea that women are only objects of desire and weakness and instead emphasizes their capacity for strength and devastation. Jennifer uses the male gaze to her advantage to feast and grows stronger. In a patriarchal society, the view of gender identity is that the man is the one with power and violence. The film disrupts this ideology of gender roles (Chusna). The "youthful male gaze" objectifies the view of femininity and young female bodies, denying the signals of a woman's aging. (Christensen) In the film, men and young boys are quickly attracted to Jennifer before and after she turns into a man-eating demon. While Jennifer's beauty is undoubtedly highlighted in the movie, it isn't just to appeal to the masculine gaze. Instead, it examines and contests social norms and assumptions about women. "Jennifer's Body" analyzes how women are frequently depicted in popular media by defying the masculine gaze. A unique female figure defying past prejudices and expectations is presented. Instead of portraying women as mere objects of desire, the movie places a strong emphasis on the relationships they have.

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Jennifer fits the female character of the femme fatale trope by the film's end: she’s lustful, beautiful, manipulative, and murderous. Earlier in the movie, she and Needy are at the bar, and Local Shoulder will soon perform. She uses self-objectification to manipulate the bartender into giving her a drink, as she is underage. This is a societal example of young girls using their sexuality in their favor and men feeding into that when attracted by beauty. While that is so, Jennifer also exhibits assertiveness, even when she walks into the bar. The quality of Jennifer being lustful with sex appeal was heightened when she became a demon man-eater. She lures high school boys with her sex appeal, feasting on their flesh and growing stronger.

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Not only is Jennifer a monster, but she is also a victim. She was betrayed by a male band just so that they could live out their dreams as famous musicians. Her transformation from victim to monster altered her life completely and is seen as a tragedy. When she is possessed and becomes a man-eating demon, Jennifer has no choice but to embrace what she has become. She now uses her sexuality to flip the script on those who objectify her.

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Soon in the film, Jennifer and Needy kiss. And at the end of the film, after Needy attempts to save her boyfriend Chip from Jennifer, she says, ‘I thought you only murdered boys.’ Then Jennifer responds by saying, ‘I go both ways.’ The film goes beyond the typical femme fatale portrayal by adding layers to Jennifer’s queerness. This challenges heteronormativity and the male-centric perspective (Alonso). Expectations are subverted when you have a queer femme fatale who defies the male gaze.

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The final girl in the horror genre is typically the female protagonist, the story's hero (the King). By the end of the film, Needy is the final girl. She’s not the timid character that the audience was introduced to. During the first part of the showdown between Needy and Jennifer, Needy comforts Jennifer for her destructive actions of eating and killing people. She’s standing up to Jennifer’s assertiveness and power. Her bravery in this scene challenges the traditional gender role of her being the less assertive, submissive friend of the popular girl (Alonso). The second half of the showdown occurs in Jennifer’s bedroom after she kills Chip. Needy sneaks into her bedroom at night to put an end to Jennifer. The power dynamic between them is switched, with Needy having the upper hand. This scene signifies the symbolism of Needy reclaiming her agency. She refuses to be the victim and stands up to her best friend’s power. Needy attacks Jennifer while holding a box cutter. Jennifer uses her demon power to float in the air. Needy grabs Jennifer’s friendship necklace and rips it right off her neck. Jennifer falls in slow motion, and then Needy falls right on top of her, stabbing her in the chest. This symbolizes Needy finally breaking free from her friendship with Jennifer.

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Needy is also the character who is the supportive friend who challenges the stereotypical view of female competition and friendship. Even though a friendship rivalry is present, love and loyalty still exist in portraying female friendship. After Needy kills Jennifer, she is sent to the psychiatric hospital. She soon escapes, hoping to find the band that performed the ritual on her now-dead friend. She finds the now-successful band at a hotel and slaughters them all. Needy had reclaimed power and got justice for Jennifer, even though she killed her boyfriend. This was against male manipulation and control. She has showcased the need for female solidarity to end the source of harm (Alonso).

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Overall, the film Jennifer’s Body challenges normal gender roles in horror, exhibiting the power of its female characters by subverting societal expectations. The film reveals power dynamics, female friendships, the femme fatale, and gender dynamics (Elkind). This brings a unique take and perspective on female empowerment in the horror genre. The journey of Jennifer and Needy challenges stereotypes and societal expectations. Monstrous Feminine invites the questioning of the oppressive roles that female characters play. The dynamic relationship between the two main female characters reflects the complexities of female friendships.

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References

Alonso Palombi, A. (2022). The new femme fatale in “Jennifer's Body.” Reinvention: An International Journal of Undergraduate Research, 15(S1). doi:10.31273/reinvention.v15is1.881 

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Christensen, K. (2020a). Drinking and disappearing: Vampiric orality and age as challenging the youthful male gaze inlet me in. Women’s Studies in Communication, 43(2), 202–224. doi:10.1080/07491409.2020.1737288 

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Chusna, A., & Mahmudah, S. (2018). Female Monsters: Figuring female transgression in Jennifer's Body (2009) and the witch (2013). Humaniora, 30(1), 10-16. doi:https://doi.org/10.22146/jh.v30i1.31499

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Elkind, G. (2022).Gender roles at the movies: Which of these classic horror films got it right. Retrieved from https://pridesource.com/article/gender-roles-at-the-movies-which-of-these-classic-horror-films-got-it-right/ 

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King, R. (2015). A regiment of monstrous women: Female horror archetypes and life history theory. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, 9(3), 170–185. doi:10.1037/ebs0000037 

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Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Femme fatale. In the Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femme%20fatale

 

Scott, S. (2018). Postfeminism and the fatale figure in neo-noir cinema. Film & History, 48(1), 71-73. Retrieved from http://mutex.gmu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/postfeminism-fatale-figure-neo-noir-cinema/docview/2086279284/se-2

 

Wilson, L. (2020, Aug 08). 'Jennifer's body' & me: [the Arts/Cultural desk]. New York Times Retrieved from http://mutex.gmu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/jennifers-body-amp-me/docview/2431154793/se-2