Stunning, surprising, unique - my favourite movie of ALL time! This film is AMAZING. 'Ginger Snaps' uses the metaphor of werewolfism for puberty and teenage life, but with clever little twists.
Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) Fitzgerald are two social outcasts, sisters and best friends, together "against life as we know it"... obsessed with death and suicide. Neither of them (despite the fact they're 15-16) have experienced puberty as of yet, and are glad that they haven't so they remain different to everyone else. But one night, when out tricking their loathed enemy from school, Trina Sinclair (Danielle Hampton), Ginger gets "the curse"... now angry she has something in common with the others (she's properly hit puberty) she doesn't notice a werewolf stalking her. It finally attacks and after a desperate struggle, with Brigitte attempting to save her sister, she takes Ginger back home. Ginger is very much wounded but Brigitte finds it scary that they have almost healed within minutes of getting cut... Slowly, over the next 28 days, Ginger becomes more and more like a young woman on the prowl. They think it's puberty and hormones at first, but when Ginger starts growing a tail they realise something's not quite right. As the best friends slowly grow apart as Ginger grows more wolf-like Brigitte knows she has to find a way to save her sister before she loses her completely. With the help of local drug-dealer-and-plant-know-it-all Sam, can she get her sister back? Or will she lose Ginger to the werewolf virus?
So whats all the hype about? Well firstly, Katharine Isabelle, Emily Perkins and Kris Lemche shine like gems in 'Ginger Snaps'. Their acting is beyond superb (Perkins does even BETTER in 'Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed')! The black humour in this movie is hilarious, gets me in stitches every time! For example, after Ginger is accused of being a werewolf, during the family dinner time, Ginger takes a bite out a chicken wing, looks at Brigitte and bitterly says "Wish these were babie's legs." - cracks me up every time! Pamela (Mimi Rogers), the girls' mother, is fantastic too! She is absolutely hilarious in her mother role, but I think we are meant to be laughing at her sometimes. Or maybe because we are with the two depressed girls all through the movie, we HAVE to laugh at her contrast with her daughters! The gore, horror, shocks, surprises, humour, soundtrack, acting and unique idea for 'Ginger Snaps' is what makes it so special. This movie, I feel, has inspired many people and influenced them a lot. My friend received a t-shirt with the girls' pact on it as a friendship birthday gift once, and I know that this movie has inspired a lot of death shots (I myself did some after seeing 'Ginger Snaps'!).
You MUST see this movie - it's pure genius!