CTVA 215 Week 12 - Ginger Snaps (2000)

Ginger Snaps maintains a unique tone and aesthetic throughout its runtime, finding a balance between a freaky werewolf film and a Disney Channel Original Movie. Following two teenage sisters as one slowly turns into a werewolf, it manages to be both a genuinely impressive horror film and somewhat lighthearted and comedic for much of its runtime. The low-budget, almost amateur-looking filmmaking at points makes the well done horror sequences and excellent makeup stand out, especially during the extremely tense final scene. It can sometimes feel like a heightened episode of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, giving it a really singular feeling for a feature film. As we discussed in class, this film uses its werewolf metaphor very intelligently. Having Ginger turn into a werewolf as a metaphor for female puberty and menstruation is a really smart angle, utilizing aspects of werewolf stories like the cyclical, monthly nature of turning in a well thought out way that I’ve never seen before. 

The strongest aspect of Ginger Snaps has to be the relationship between Ginger and Brigette. In a depiction of high school so exaggerated and absurd, their relationship does a lot to ground the film. It actually reminded me a lot of Bottoms in this way, taking place in a ridiculous world but still having a strong and realistic relationship at the core of the film that keeps it believable and engaging. I kept seeing my younger siblings in Ginger and Brigette, not necessarily in their specific dynamic and Brigette’s dependence on her older sister (nor their obsession with death), but more in their individual personalities. It kept me really engaged in the story, and the strong sisterly relationship at the core of Ginger Snaps is what will ultimately keep me coming back to this film in Octobers to come.