Courtesy of Motion International
Nothing is certain except death, taxes, and the mortifying ordeal that is puberty. For girls, that experience is especially monstrous. Suddenly, your emotions are too dramatic, your body is too noticeable, and everyone seems determined to remind you that you need to be managed and disciplined. If you had the opportunity to turn into something with claws and teeth, you would. Maybe then people would finally get off your back. Ginger Snaps understands that.
This is probably why werewolves have become such a popular symbol for puberty. But the strange thing is, despite operating on a cyclical timeline influenced by the moon, female werewolves are still extremely rare in pop culture. In 2017, the editors at Artsy pointed out that this could be because we (but mostly men) don’t want to “[confront] hairy, ugly, uncontrollable women.” The editors suggest that “because the werewolf represents traits that are accepted as masculine—strength, large size, violence, and hirsutism—we tend to think of the werewolf as being naturally male. The female werewolf is disturbing because she entirely breaks the rules of femininity.”
Courtesy of Motion International
Howling Teen Angst
Which is why I’m so happy to let you all know that if you’re looking for the perfect female-led teen-angst werewolf movie, then you need to watch Ginger Snaps, which is available to stream for free on Tubi. Ginger Snaps follows Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins), two sisters who bond over their shared interest in the macabre. Trapped in the suburbs, they spend their days staging and taking pictures of all the horrible ways they could die. After deciding to take revenge on one of their bullies, Ginger is attacked by what the girls believe is a wild animal. She survives, but she begins to change. And it’s up to Brigitte to keep her from turning into something she’s not, even if it kills both of them.
Chad Collins called Ginger Snaps a “contemporary masterpiece” in the way that it combines “explicit genre elements” with its “refraction of monstrous adolescence.” He goes on to say that “Ginger Snaps relishes in its dark side and the often troubling, conflicting ideals young adults are compelled to explore. It’s horror as a mirror, especially post-Columbine.”
Watch the trailer below:
What makes Ginger Snaps so effective for me as someone who loves gnarly werewolf transformations and monstrous coming-of-age films is the bond between Ginger and Brigitte. To some, Ginger and Brigitte seem enmeshed with each other, and we could argue that part of Brigette’s coming-of-age story is learning how to be her own person. But their bond is genuine and tender, even if it looks a little strange. We want the girls to make it out of this together. We know how much they love each other. And that’s what makes the ending so devastating.
If you’re a fan of Jennifer’s Body or Teeth, then you need to watch Ginger Snaps. And if you love female-led werewolf movies or you want more of them, let me know: @ashjenexi on Instagram and X.
Categorized: Streaming News
