Ginger Snaps (2000)

Two death-obsessed sisters, outcasts in their suburban neighborhood, must deal with the tragic consequences when one of them is bitten by a deadly werewolf.

Director:

John Fawcett

Writers:

Karen Walton (story), John Fawcett (story)

Stars:

Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Kris Lemche

8 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emily Perkins	...	Brigitte
Katharine Isabelle	...	Ginger
Kris Lemche	...	Sam
Mimi Rogers	...	Pamela
Jesse Moss	...	Jason
Danielle Hampton	...	Trina
John Bourgeois	...	Henry
Peter Keleghan	...	Mr. Wayne
Christopher Redman	...	Ben
Jimmy MacInnis	...	Tim
Lindsay Leese	...	Nurse Ferry
Wendii Fulford	...	Ms. Sykes
Ann Baggley	...	Mother
Graeme Robertson	...	Toddler
Maxwell Robertson	...	Toddler

Storyline

Is becoming a woman analogous, in some deep psychological way, to becoming a werewolf? Ginger is 16, edgy, tough, and, with her younger sister, into staging and photographing scenes of death. They've made a pact about dying together. In early October, on the night she has her first period, which is also the night of a full moon, a werewolf bites Ginger. Within a few days, some serious changes happen to her body and her temperament. Her sister Brigitte, 15, tries to find a cure with the help of Sam, a local doper. As Brigitte races against the clock, Halloween and another full moon approach, Ginger gets scarier, and it isn't just local dogs that begin to die.

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Plot Keywords:

male rape victim | werewolf | full moon | canadian horror | driving lesson | 

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Taglines:

Hungry like the Wolf.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 May 2001 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Ginger Snaps I

Filming Locations:

Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,430, 28 October 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,554, 1 November 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Copperheart Entertainment, Water Pictures, Motion International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Still airs from time to time on the UK horror channel.

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Goofs

When Ginger and Brigitte go to visit Sam because he has an idea, he slams the door when Ginger and Brigitte come in. Then when you see Sam and Brigitte talking the door is open. Also when the door is slammed the hinge is on the left when they are talking the door is the other way round; if you were looking from the same view as when he slammed the door the hinge would be on the right.

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Quotes

[Sam opens the door to his van]
Sam: The hell you guys doing in here?
Ben: [Greeting him] Sam, The Man.
Jason: Sam, uh, we, we just needed a place to come and smoke.
Sam: Hey, you know, I have an idea. Why don't you guys get the fuck out of my van, assholes! Come on, I'm serious get out! I mean it! Get out!

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Crazy Credits

Thank you to: ¡EEK! (EXPERIMENTAL ENGINEERING KORPORATION)

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Connections

Featured in Beyond Clueless (2014)

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Soundtracks

Remanufacture
Written by Burton C. Bell, Dino Cazares & Raymond Herrera
Performed by Fear Factory
Used by permission of BMG Music Publishing Canada Inc. and Roadrunner Records

User Reviews

She's Snapped.

I grow weary of horror films. I really do. I don't tend to enjoy the majority of serial killer slasher flicks because they're not my piece of cake. One, they don't scare me. Two, the quality of the films has greatly decreased since John Carpenter's "Halloween," and the result is a bunch of recycled slasher hits and their uncountable many sequels, all just replays of the last one. Three, the entire formula is getting old.

There are bands of teenagers and cult followers who love horror films. I am not one of those (un)lucky individuals. I respect well-made modern horror films, but I yearn for the olden days when horror implied something a little more than just blood-'n-guts-type serial killer movies with unbeatable foes battling virgins and non-virgins in ridiculous situations.

Yes, real horror films are truly hard to find nowadays, which is why "Ginger Snaps" -- a modestly-scaled Canadian werewolf movie -- succeeds as more than just another crude bit-by-a-werewolf-soon-you're-a-killer-man-beast movie. (Pardon the random and haphazard string of words.)

Werewolf movies are as old as the days. Over the years, with unflattering productions such as "Wolf" (1994), the legend and actual horror of werewolfs has decreased and the images of the beasts have turned into some sort of cute, cuddly dog figures.

"Ginger Snaps" is one of the darkest werewolf films made, and one of the most realistic, too. It's a story about a teenage girl who acquires the mythical hairraising powers of the species after being attacked and mauled in Canadian woods.

Ginger (Katharine Isabelle, who starred in this year's "Freddy vs. Jason") is a happy 16-year-old with a low social life status. Her 15-year-old sister, Brigitte (Emily Perkins), is the same way. But one night in the woods outside their home, both girls are attacked by a vicious beast, and soon Ginger starts going through some changes. First it's minor stuff, like hair sprouting in weird places. Then it's strange stuff, like growing a tail.

Soon she's the "cool girl" at school, hanging out with the right crowds and so on. Her sister is put off by Ginger's new image, and is uneasy with the new, cruel, cool Ginger, who no longer hangs out with her sister.

But the changes start to become too apparent, and she begins to gradually evolve into a hairy beast, which threatens not only Brigitte's life, but also those around her, especially after Ginger's blood craving starts to take over her senses.

The key to this film, I think, is its modest tone. It was a low-budget Canadian werewolf movie -- nothing more -- and it has an ingenuity about it. It's original, to a certain extent, even though the actual premise of werewolves has been used to death over the years.

This is a fun movie because of its unique view of werewolves. It brings the legend of the mythical beasts closer to reality -- it offers a perspective of what it may truly be like to acquire the abilities of the beast in today's age. Sure, the overall premise may be ridiculous, as werewolves are works of fiction, but if you ever want to know what it may be like -- just for fun -- then check this one out for a good thrill.

4/5 stars.

• John Ulmer