This post includes a brief plot description, an explanation about the ending of the 2009 film Jennifer’s Body and a brief discussion about the kiss between Jennifer and Needy.
Directed by Karyn Kusama, the 2009 horror comedy stars Megan Fox as Jennifer Check and Amanda Seyfried as Anita “Needy” Lesnicki. Beware of spoilers.
Jennifer’s Body tells the story of a high school girl (Jennifer) who transforms into a demon who feeds off her male classmates after a brutal Satanic ritual. Unable to withstand what Jennifer has turned into, Needy tries to stop her best friend.
What Is Going On In “Jennifer’s Body”? (Plot Explained)
Jennifer and Needy have been best friends ever since they were little kids. However, one fateful night changes everything for the two friends. It all happened when Jennifer invited Needy to a concert by the up-and-coming band “Low Shoulder”. The girls’ night out was a complete fiasco, a fire broke out at the concert, killing many of its attendees. Nonetheless, Jennifer and Needy managed to escape.
Instead of going home, Jennifer decides to stay with the bandmates of “Low Shoulder”. Later on, they kidnap her. The band wanted to use Jennifer as a “sacrifice”, a gift to Satan. During the Satanic ritual, they kill Jennifer in exchange for fame and success. However, their actions end up creating a hungry demon who needs male flesh to live.
The ritual did not go as planned because Jennifer was not a “pure girl”. When she was with the band, Jennifer lied about being a “virgin” and that cost her life. The high school girl survived the brutal assault and became a literal “man-eater”. That same night, Needy finds Jennifer in her kitchen trying to eat some rotisserie chicken. The food doesn’t sit well in her stomach, and Jennifer ends up throwing up a dark coloured liquid.
Although things seemed to go back to normal the morning after, Needy starts to grow suspicious of Jennifer. Meanwhile, more male classmates disappear, Jennifer brutally killed them to keep her healthy and youthful looks. Needy tells her boyfriend (Chip) that Jennifer is the culprit behind the boys’ deaths but he doesn’t believe her.
On prom night, Jennifer lures Chip into an abandoned pool and attacks him. Needy arrives, and Chip rushes to save her by impaling Jennifer with a pool skimmer. Although Needy manages to escape, Chips bleeds to death. Enraged by Jennifer’s behaviour, Needy goes to her house to kill her.
During their physical fight, Jennifer bites Needy in the neck. In turn, the latter rips Jennifer’s friendship necklace from her neck. Suddenly, Jennifer stops fighting and Needy stabs her in the heart with a utility knife. Shortly after, Jennifer’s mother opens the bedroom door only to find Needy on top of her dead daughter. The incident led the authorities to send Needy to an asylum.
The Ending of “Jennifer’s Body” Explained
The ending of Jennifer’s Body suggests that Needy inherited some of Jennifer’s powers after the bite. She successfully escapes the mental institution and goes after the “Low Shoulder”. The ending scene shows the bandmates murdered in their hotel room.
Despite their differences and quarrels, it seems that Needy holds a special place in Jennifer’s heart. Otherwise, why would the latter suddenly stop in the middle of a heated physical fight? When Needy ripped the necklace from Jennifer, it symbolized the end of their friendship. A heartbroken Jennifer stops resisting, and Needy stabs her in the heart (literally). Ironically, Jennifer regains her human appearance after her death.
It’s obvious that Needy feels bad for killing Jennifer, but at the same time, she didn’t have many options either. Her friend would have kept devouring other male classmates had Needy not stopped her. Nonetheless, Needy feels guilt and anger for what happened to Jennifer. That is why she goes the “Low Shoulder”. In a way, Needy is seeking justice for what those men did to Jennifer. She killed them in a brutal manner as payback for what they did to her best friend.
Jennifer and Needy Relationship Analysis
The story of Jennifer’s Body revolves around its two main characters: Jennifer and Needy. The two high school girls have a somewhat complex relationship. On the surface, they are supposedly best friends, but sometimes there are moments when they don’t act like it.
Jennifer is the stereotypical pretty girl who has the world wrapped around her finger. Her best friend (Needy) is the complete opposite, she is more on the low-key and awkward side. So what is a girl like Jennifer doing with someone like Needy? No offence, she seems like a lovely human being, but their personalities just don’t match.
There is definitely an imbalance in the girls’ friendship. Needy sees herself as Jennifer’s friend, but the latter often treats Needy as a frenemy. Here is the thing, Jennifer wants Needy to look cute, but not prettier than her. Also, she wants Needy to do well, but not better than her. There is definitely a twisted pattern in their so-called friendship.
When their relationship went sour, Jennifer went after Needy’s boyfriend just to prove that she could have any guy in the world. At this point, it’s pretty obvious that the girl has some serious issues. Despite being viewed by many as a pretty girl, Jennifer is deeply insecure.
Why did Jennifer kiss Needy?
There are many ways to formulate the same question. Why did Jennifer kiss Needy? Or why did Needy kiss Jennifer back? It doesn’t matter, because the fact is that they kissed each other. The follow-up question would be “why”.
As mentioned before, these two girls have a complicated friendship. However, things get even weirder when they “make out” with each other. As I see it, the kiss was not of a romantic nature. Also, it’s a lustful kiss that doesn’t come from a place of desire.
So what is the meaning behind the kiss? Jennifer kissed Needy as a power tactic to manipulate the latter. In other words, Jennifer doesn’t want Needy to spill her secret. In addition, it was also a way for Jennifer to test her own limits with Needy.
What about Needy? What is she trying to get out of the kiss? Maybe Needy is trying to explore how she feels about Jennifer. I mean, how would you justify their relationship? Needy knows that Jennifer is not the best friend in the world, yet she keeps her in her life. Having said that, Needy either idolizes Jennifer or loves her.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, I believe that Jennifer’s Body is a criminally underrated film. Yes, I said that. I’m perfectly aware that it might be an unpopular opinion, but that’s how I feel about the story. Although the film did flop at the time when it was released, Jennifer’s Body managed to reach over the years the cult status that it deserves.
One of the aspects that I liked the most about Jennifer’s Body is how real the characters feel. For instance, Jennifer is so much more than just a “man-eater”. Behind her pretty looks, she is a very insecure person.
What about Needy? She’s not Jennifer’s bitch or a doormat. Needy is strong in her own way, but she is still trying to figure out Jennifer’s place in her life. After all, they’ve been friends for such a long time. It’s not easy to cut ties with someone who has been in your life for so long.
The film is also quite refreshing in terms of how they portray the female leads: they are not victims. Jennifer dies, but she comes back as a demon, and Needy knows how to stand up for herself when Jennifer crosses the line. Having said that, there are no white knights in Jennifer’s Body. The ladies do all the “dirty” work.
Some might even say that Jennifer’s Body is a feminist film. Maybe… I don’t know. What is a feminist film? Nonetheless, one thing is for sure: “There will be blood”. The female leads aren’t shy about getting their hands dirty to make a statement. They are both fighters. Wouldn’t you agree?
If Jennifer’s Body is so great, why did it flop at the time? Personal hunch? The film was ahead of its time. Just a few years ago, no one was rooting for female characters in leading roles. What has changed? Nowadays, studios are more receptive to projects starring female lead characters. By the way, they are not doing it because they’re trying to be nice. The studios do it because there is money to be made.
For the longest time, there was this “belief” that female characters were not as bankable as male leading characters. But over the years, many stories starring female leads managed to reach huge commercial success, proving the studios otherwise.
Overall, Jennifer’s Body is well worth a watch. It’s about friendship, revenge and making difficult choices. What else could someone ask for? In addition, it’s witty. It’s one of those films that makes a point without taking itself too seriously. Honestly, this is a truly underrated film.
