Review of Ginger Snaps (2000) by Bill C — 15 Oct 2008

I cannot believe the most clever, crazy, funny and witty horror movie of the last decade, came from..Canada!

That's right, "Ginger Snaps", is from the brainchild on John Fawcett, a clever satire on not only the genre of the old werewolf movies, but also of the generation of new millenium teens obsessed with the morbid side of life.

The movie focuses around Ginger & Brigette Fitzgerald. Two teen sisters who are obsessed with death, suicide, and the all around world that is the darkside.

Now here's one of the many reasons I like ths movie, it's because, the two are not neccesarily suicidal per se, but they do want there death to stand out, and be something special.

However, apparently there's an unknown beast in Baily Downs, Ontario, that is on the loose, and the authorities have no idea what it is.

But while out one night the girls, encounter the beast, as it attacks Ginger, and all of the sudden, she is bitten and battered, while the beast is run over by one of there schoolmates accidentally, and...changes soon abound.

This once outcasted girl is all of the sudden, becoming, "one of them". And by that...we mean, a teenage girl. That's right, her changes abound as she is a "late bloomer", and apparently thinks what is wrong with her, has to do with "becoming a woman".

The movie ties in the "changes" of both becoming a wolf, and becoming a woman, and that in itself I thought was a very clever concept. Now I've seen numerous movies with clever concepts, and they're just not executed properly. But her, it's perfect.

Ginger is played by young Vancouver born actress Katherine Isabelle, who is just fantastic here as the changing girl. While Emily Perkins as akward and timid Brigette, also makes the film enjoyable.

Ginger's relucatance to accept the problem, and her transformation both physcially and mentally is really well done and flows to utter perfection with great timing.

I love how the final scenes are played out to the point where we anxiously await what one will do to the other, and how much of Ginger the person is really truly left.

The movie doesen't try to be a mystery, or truly "scare" us, it's a campy werewolf flick, that ties in with a clever double meaning, and takes on a fun roller coaster ride.

The movie doesen't insult our intellegence either, it is, what it is.

I also have to mention the most haunting performance in the movie, was from none of the girls, but from Mimi Rogers, as the happy go lucky suburban mother, who is of course in denial over who her girls really are.

The bond between the sisters, is tested here, as to how far each will go to protect the other, and it produces some undeniably whacked out results.

I took a lot of flack when I named this, as the top movie of 2001. I'm not saying it should win an Oscar, I just enjoyed more than any other movie. Is that so bad?

It was non stop fun, and everything was done perfectly, it was original, and smart. So that's what made it so great to me.

You may not agree...that's fine.

But I do, and always will love this movie.