Ginger Snaps is a Canadian horror film from director John Fawcett. Starring Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Kris Lemche, and Mimi Rogers. The film was released on August 1st, 2000 on the International film festival circuit. Most notably at the Munich Fantasy Filmfest. The film had trouble reaching US audiences after the Columbine shootings. But it gained popularity through television broadcasts and home rentals. I am watching the Tubi network stream.

Synopsis

Two death-obsessed sisters, Brigitte, and Ginger Fitzgerald are outcasts at their High School. That is until Ginger is bitten by a werewolf and experiences her first period. Now both sisters must deal with the tragic consequences.

Analysis

I was expecting to see a werewolf movie with some decent melodrama. And that's just what I got. The story is original and compelling. A very smart and entertaining teen drama that mixes dark humor and horror into the narrative. It's a bloody feature that goes widely unmentioned in discussions about werewolf movies.

The acting here is way above par. Far above what I had expected. Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle were both fantastic. I loved their dialogue throughout the picture that’s rife with nineties slang. Other characters had a familiar satiric quality. I thought it was well written.

The effects are inventive and original. All practical makeup and prosthetics. I loved the gore. It delivers buckets of blood and guts. The creature effects are top-notch for a b-movie, but for some reason, it can't shake that made-for-TV quality. I keep thinking of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or The X-Files.

Overall

Ginger Snaps has the look and feel of a late-nineties b-movie but it's very different. While some scenes can come off as campy and overdone, most of the film is spot on. This is a very well made horror movie that takes an original look at werewolves and growing into adulthood. This is a film that I strongly suggest for most fans of the genre.