Ginger Snaps (2000)
Submitted by Andrew Cady on Tue, 02/09/2010 - 16:14
I have to give this movie credit for one of the most clever titles I’ve ever seen for a wolf movie. The protagonist is named “Ginger” and you know… she snaps… not only emotionally but… you know… like a dog…or a wolf. She SNAPS… get it… Ginger… Snaps….like a cookie…and…umm okay, moving on.
The movie stars relatively unknown (especially in the year 2000) actresses Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle. Mimi Rogers also appears in it which is a welcome surprise.
Another welcome surprise, in addition to being cleverly named, is that the movie is actually original and interesting, even though it is not a departure from traditional werewolf mythos. I love werewolf movies, but they are never really innovative with regards to the lore itself. We know about werewolves, we know how they operate, we are generally aware of how they become and how they are killed, so it’s the surrounding story that needs to lure us in and entrance us.
In this story, two small town sisters, Ginger and Brigitte, who are slightly goth and majorly death-obsessed, are the heroines of our story. This puts them in the wrong places at the wrong times. A werewolf is running amok in town (unnoticed) killing the local dogs – consider the scene set. Ginger is bitten (not really a spoiler, considering the title of the film) and begins to transform. The story is the tale of her becoming and of Brigitte’s search for the cure to the curse before it is too late to save her. Throw in some young love, teen angst and animal mutilation and you’ve got yourself an adventure.
The transformation’s effects on Ginger, both emotionally and physically, are very well portrayed. Minimal special effects and make-up are used, but the impact is dramatic. One of the aspects of the physical transformation was one I hadn’t seen used before this film and it could have been ridiculous, but the filmmakers managed to use it well.
Overall Ginger Snaps has a low-budget and Indie film feel to it, but avoids seeming cheap. I would highly recommend it to the horror film lover and if you enjoy werewolf movies, you’ll probably end up owning this one. Unfortunately, I cannot give the same recommendation for Ginger Snaps:Unleased and Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, the two sequels to this film. But those are reviews for another day.
-Kimberly Cady
