A uniquely Canadian horror film, Ginger Snaps doesn’t get near the attention it deserves in horror circles. Simply put, Ginger Snaps was one of the best horror films of the 2000s. Written by Karen Walton and directed by John Fawcett, Ginger Snaps is a werewolf story revolving around two outcast sisters obsessed with death. Yet like the best horror films, Ginger Snaps is so much more than a werewolf story.

Can this happen to a normal woman?

To be sure, as a horror film, Ginger Snaps is extremely well-made. Director John Fawcett aptly balances dark humour with genuine scares. Additionally, the werewolf effects and gore still hold up quite well. Werewolf design can be quite tricky and while the practical effects are certainly noticeable, the monster is smartly kept in the shadows to no detriment in the movie’s overall quality. Ginger Snaps is a witty, moody, and atmospheric horror film. Yet where the film excels is in the much deeper meanings found in its story.

They Don’t Call It the Curse for Nothing

Walton’s werewolf story is a uniquely feminist horror film that ties its lycanthropy mythology to a young girl’s transition into womanhood. Ginger Fitzgerald, played by Katharine Isabelle, is 15-years-old and still has not had her first period, a fact awkwardly dropped by her mother during a family dinner. Like her younger sister, Brigette (played by Emily Perkins), Ginger dresses in frumpy clothes and is clearly uncomfortable with her own appearance, particularly around boys.

On the evening when Ginger finally has her period, a werewolf attacks her. From that point forward, Ginger’s lycanthropy and her growth into womanhood are intertwined thematically in the film. First, Ginger grows har from her bite wounds and a small tail begins to protrude. Next Ginger develops an instant interest in boys and begins rebelling. She also finds a newfound confidence in her own body. In a standout scene, Ginger parades into the school hall, initially uncomfortable but quickly embracing the attention she receives.

Ginger Snaps and Female Sexuality

Other films have examined, and linked, femininity and female sexuality with the monstrous in the horror genre, including Stephen King’s Carrie. What sets Ginger Snaps apart from these films is Walton’s smart script. Unlike other horror films, this Canadian horror outing never deviantizes Ginger’s femininity and sexuality. Ginger Snaps has a lot of clever things to say about the double standards surrounding sexuality and gender. Before she is bitten, male classmates catcall and ogle Ginger. Once she’s bitten, Ginger becomes the predator, turning the tables on one cat-caller. Yet after her first sexual encounter, Ginger still understands that boys  have the social power lamenting to Brigette, that the boy “got laid” and she is just “layee”. According to Ginger, “[a] girl can only be a slut, a bitch, a tease, or the virgin next door.”

“You’re doing drugs with guys. Something is definitely wrong with you.”

Nevertheless, Ginger refuses to conform to social expectations and stereotypical gender role norms. In some ways, Ginger Snaps’  werewolf is a metaphor for non-conformity. Ginger doesn’t balk at the power her transformation offers; sheembraces it. In once scene, she even compares it to masturbation, again linking lycanthropy to sexuality. She tells Brigitte, “…I’m a goddamn force of nature … I feel like I could do anything.” In Ginger Snaps, femininity and sexuality are not the “curse” to which the film’s tagline cleverly refers. Instead, the “curse” refers to the social double standards that are forced onto young women.

A Rare Horror Film about Sisterhood

At the heart of the film is the relationship between the Fitzgerald sisters, Ginger and younger sister, Brigette. There are countless horror films that revolve around young boys and their friendships. It’s refreshing to see a film offer a different perspective. When the audience is first introduced to the sisters, they are defiant outcasts with only each other. “Out at sixteen, or dead on the scene, but together forever”  is their sisterly bond. Walton’s script fully humanizes Ginger and Brigette, imbuing them with the emotions and struggles that many young girls may share.

This is the second major theme in Ginger Snaps. It’s also a film about the friendship between the sisters that is tested in the transition from childhood to adolescence. As Ginger matures, embracing her sexuality and lycanthropy, Brigette feels increasingly isolated. Early scenes of the sisters sitting alone on school bleachers are later contrasted with a scene of Brigette sitting alone. On one hand, Brigette is fearful for her sister’s safety as she changes, but she also feels abandoned. Later in the film, it’s Ginger who feels abandoned when Brigette turns to local drug deal Sam to find a cure.

“You picked Sam over me…”:

Like The Craft, Ginger Snaps is the rare horror film that focuses on young women and their relationships with each other. Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins deliver performance that greatly assist this theme. Isabelle is fantastic as Ginger, capably alternating between strength and vulnerability, while eliciting empathy for her character. As the bright awkward Brigette, Perkins elevates her character from what might normally be a teen film stereotype. Both actresses elicit a connection with the audience that allows the film’s material to linger long after you’ve watched it.

A Film That Has Only Become More Relevant

In the almost 20 years since its release, Ginger Snaps remains a brilliantly entertaining and effective horror film. Perhaps more importantly, its unique focus on young women and their relationships, as well as its commentary on social norms and sexuality, is arguably more relevant now than when the film was first released.