Ginger Snaps (R, 2000)

Teenagers love horror movies, and GINGER SNAPS has plenty of scares and blood and monsters. Sisters Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) are obsessed with death -- one of the puns on the movie's title is the series of photographs they take of each other in various forms of lifelessness. But one night Ginger crosses a new line -- she gets her period. At nearly the exact same moment, she is attacked by a werewolf, and begins to become one herself.

Ginger Snaps attempts to create a metaphor -- menstruation and the changes it brings to personality and sexuality are like the raging blood lust of the werewolf. There's something interesting in that parallel, but ultimately the film doesn't follow through on the idea, but becomes simply a parade of attacks, some brutal, some darkly funny. The two girls give very strong performances, particularly Perkins, and Brigitte's own transformation from mousy sidekick to werewolf hunter is impressive. It's refreshing to see a young girl take on the hero's role in this kind of film.

Teenagers may enjoy though they may not pick up on the "message" it's trying to convey. As a horror film it works fine. As a satiric commentary on adolescence it doesn't succeed quite as well. It's extremely violent, and parents should use discretion in allowing their children to see it. Older teens will think it's fine, but younger kids could be terrified.

Studio: Copperheart Entertainment
Director: John Fawcett
Cast: Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Mimi Rogers
Genre: Horror
Run time: 108 minutes
Theatrical release: September 13, 2000
DVD release: September 13, 2001
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: extremely graphic violence, strong language, sexual situations