Line #79 Film/JennifersBody


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jb_poster.jpg]]
2
3	->'''Anita "Needy" Lesnicki:''' You're killing people!\
4	'''Jennifer Check:''' No, I'm killing ''boys''.
5
6	''Jennifer's Body'' is a 2009 {{Teen\|Horror}} HorrorComedy film directed by Creator/KarynKusama, written by Creator/DiabloCody (''Film/{{Juno}}''), and starring Creator/MeganFox and Creator/AmandaSeyfried.
7
8	Jennifer (Fox) is a high school cheerleader who goes to a rock concert, where the band tries to sacrifice her to {{Satan}} to get a record deal. It works, but [[CameBackWrong Jennifer gets possessed by a demon in the process, causing her to start]] [[TheVamp seducing]], [[FemmeFatale killing]], and [[LiteralManEater eating the boys in her school]]. Upon finding out, Needy (Seyfried), Jennifer's HollywoodHomely BestFriend since childhood, sets out to stop her from wiping out the student body.
9
10	The name of the film was [[TitledAfterTheSong taken from the song "Jennifer's Body"]] by Music/{{Hole}}. Oddly, the song doesn't appear in the film, although another track from the same album does.
11
12	----
13	!!This film has examples of the following tropes:
14
15	* ActorAllusion: Creator/BillFagerbakke as a football [[Series/{{Coach}} coach]].
16	* AdrenalineMakeover: Needy gearing up to take down Jennifer once and for all.
17	* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: Jennifer's a cheerleader, and [[LustObject almost every guy in the school wants to bang her]]. She [[TheVamp uses this to her advantage]] after being possessed.
18	* AlphaBitch: Jennifer was like this even before she turned into a demon. Needy just seems to be somewhat safe from her more overt {{jerkass}} tendencies. Jennifer's AlphaBitch nature slowly begins rearing its head towards Needy when she notices how close friends Needy was with Colin and later how in love Needy and Chip were. [[spoiler:Then she decides to eat first Colin and then later Chip just because she wanted to take what Needy had]].
19	* AmbiguouslyAbsentParent: Neither Needy or Jennifer's fathers appear. In the first case, it's pretty clear he isn't around (although why isn't said), but Jennifer's simply may be offscreen, as we don't see much of her house. Only their mothers appear in any case (both quite briefly).
20	* AmbiguouslyBi:
21	** Anita "Needy" Lesnicki has a boyfriend, whom she cares about very deeply. She also makes out with Jennifer, and seems to be really into it before she breaks it off. Jennifer herself has been intimate with lots of boys, but she also passionately makes out with Needy. More generally, there's a pretty strong [[HomoeroticSubtext undercurrent]] of sexual tension between Needy and Jennifer throughout the film.
22	** Megan Fox deconstructs Jennifer's sexuality by saying that she portrayed Jennifer as a deeply closeted lesbian.
23	* AndIMustScream: The fact that Jennifer is possessed shows she may not be in complete control of her actions and by doing the ritual on her, [[spoiler:Low Shoulder is pretty much responsible for her death.]]
24	* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Chip's little sister Camille.
25	-->'''Camille:''' "You're penis cheese!"
26	* AntagonistTitle: Jennifer becomes the main antagonist after her possession. Needy is TheProtagonist.
27	* ArmorPiercingQuestion / ArmorPiercingResponse: Needy delivers a few to Jennifer as she confronts her for eating her boyfriend Chip.
28	--> '''Needy:''' Why do you need him? ''Huh?'' You can have anybody that you want, Jennifer, so... ''why'' Chip? [[EvilIsPetty Is it just to tick me off?]] Or is it because you're just ''really'' insecure?\
29	'''Jennifer:''' (''trying and failing to keep her cool'') ... [[BlatantLies I am not insecure, Needy]]. God, that's a ''joke''. How can ''I'' ever be insecure? I was the Snowflake Queen!\
30	'''Needy:''' Yeah, ''two'' years ago when you were socially relevant...\
31	'''Jennifer:''' (''getting increasingly irritated'') I am ''still'' socially relevant...\
32	'''Needy:''' ...and when you didn't need laxatives to stay skinny.\
33	'''[[VillainousBreakdown Jennifer]]:''' [''{{Beat}}''] [[TranquilFury I am going... to eat your soul]] and SHIT IT '''''[[SuddenlyShouting OUT, LESNECKI!!!]]'''''
34	* ArcWords: When Needy and Chip spend the night together, she hallucinates seeing blood drip through the ceiling and Jennifer murdering someone and utters "hopeless...". Later, you can see the words "hopeless" spray painted on the walls of the abandoned poolhouse [[spoiler: where Jennifer attempts to devour Chip]].
35	* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Low Shoulder really had it coming.]]
36	* BadassBoast: "I am going to eat your soul ''and shit it out, Lesnicki''!!"
37	* BadBlackBarf: After breaking into Needy's refrigerator for something to eat and being unable to digest regular human food (like chicken), Jennifer projectile vomits black ooze onto the kitchen floor that seemingly moves on its own and resembles pins and needles very briefly.
38	* BaitAndSwitchLesbians: The earliest trailers showed Jennifer and Needy in intimate situations, and despite their making out in the movie, both are only seen and mentioned as being with boys. However, there is enough tension between them in the film to reasonably assume the two girls were bisexual. The argument could even be made for Jennifer being a closeted lesbian since all of her male interests were either the result of jockeying for social position or trying to keep Needy for herself. After a scene of Needy gazing a little too blissfully at Jennifer, another girl says to her point-blank: "You are totally [=LesbiGay=]." Creator/MeganFox even says she played Jennifer as a very closeted lesbian. Needy also may be at least bisexual, since she's ''very'' into kissing Jennifer. Still, this bit only makes up a small part of the film, and it goes no further.
39	* BerserkButton: Jennifer takes a lot of insults from Needy in stride, but it's when Needy calls her out on her insecurity and bringing up Jennifer's past eating disorders and abuse of laxatives to stay skinny that's what really sets off her homicidal anger.
40	* BigBad: Jennifer Check, a demonic cheerleader terrorizing a small town.
41	* BigNo: Needy lets out several after [[spoiler:Chip's death]].
42	* BisexualLoveTriangle: Jennifer and Needy have always had an intense PseudoRomanticFriendship, which included bed sharing (and they make out at one point). Needy is also in a relationship with Chip and only shows attraction to other guys, such as Colin. While all the boys want Jennifer, her only really sincere romantic relationship is with Needy but the arc of the movie is ultimately about Needy realizing what a ToxicFriendInfluence Jennifer is. Jennifer kills Chip (and Colin) because she wanted to take what Needy had, so ultimately, Needy killed Jennifer in revenge and to stop her from hurting anyone else. [[spoiler:Nevertheless, she inherited some of Jennifer's powers and used them to avenge her at the end.]]
43	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Jennifer and Chip are killed, and Needy gets put in a prison psych ward. Needy does gain some of Jennifer's powers (SuperStrength and levitation, at the least) and proceeds to escape and murder all of Low Shoulder, but she's still a fugitive and a pariah with no income or support network.]]
44	* BlackComedy:
45	** Jennifer asking Needy for a tampon, [[spoiler:to plug her gaping stomach wound]].
46	** Jonas' grief-stricken father loudly declaring that [[PapaWolf he's going to find his son's killer]], [[CripplingCastration chop off his balls]], and use them as a door knocker.
47	** When Needy and Chip have sex for [[TheirFirstTime the first time]], the former starts sensing Jennifer's murder of Colin and freaks out appropriately. Chip, on the other hand, mistakes her terrified gasps for [[TheImmodestOrgasm pleasurable ones]] and looks highly pleased with himself.
48	** Jennifer's reaction [[spoiler:when Needy stabs her through the heart]]? "[[MajorInjuryUnderreaction My tit!]]" Talk about SkewedPriorities...
49	* BlackDudeDiesFirst: While not the first death shown on-screen, [[spoiler:Jennifer's first victim is Ahmet, the Indian exchange student]].
50	* BodyHorror: As a horror movie involving a girl shifting into a demon would require. See NightmareFace for more details.
51	* BoundAndGagged: In the flashback, Jennifer is bounded with a scarf tied around her mouth and ropes binding her arms [[spoiler: at the virgin sacrifice by Low Shoulder so she couldn't escape or scream for help]].
52	* BreastAttack: [[spoiler:"My tit!" Justified, seeing as Needy has to stab through Jennifer's breast to get to her heart.]]
53	* BuffySpeak: Creator/DiabloCody wrote this movie and it shows. The dialogues are chock-full of made-up words and awkward attempts to talk about demonic possession and the occult.
54	* BuryYourGays: The bisexual villain protagonist Jennifer gets killed by Needy (while Needy's AmbiguouslyBi and lives-she's also the heroine).
55	* CameBackWrong: After being used for a VirginSacrifice, Jennifer (who wasn't a virgin) comes back as a man-eating succubus. Hilarity and horror ensues.
56	* TheCameo: Creator/LanceHenriksen plays the man who picks Needy up near the end in his car.
57	* CarnivorousHealingFactor: After Jennifer gets demonically possessed and becomes a succubus, she gets a FantasticDietRequirement, becoming sickly and listless if she avoids eating humans for too long. Eating them restores her to health.
58	* CassandraTruth: Chip initially doesn't believe Needy's seemingly outrageous claims about Jennifer - not that you can blame him. Also, Needy is the only one who knows that Low Shoulder aren't the heroes everyone else thinks they are. No one believes her when she states otherwise, presumably because that's part of Low Shoulder's DealWithTheDevil, or they'd just garnered [[VillainWithGoodPublicity a good reputation]] by (allegedly) saving people from the fire.
59	* CatholicSchoolGirlsRule: While she isn't actually a Catholic schoolgirl, Jennifer is shown on the poster wearing this kind of outfit, which shows off her [[LegFocus long legs]]. She doesn't wear this in the film however.
60	* CessationOfExistence: Colin's ''mother'' [[KickTheDog says he's just a corpse now]], not in some better place like his emo friends say (at his funeral, no less), [[spoiler: which really doesn't hold water considering he was murdered by a literal demon]].
61	* ChekhovsGun:
62	** [[spoiler:The BFF necklace that Jennifer wears.]]
63	** The whirlpool beneath the falls. In Act I, Needy says that no one knows where it empties. In Act III, she finds out, finding Chekhov's Gun number 3:
64	** [[spoiler:The bowie knife used to sacrifice Jennifer.]]
65	* ComingAndGoing: Chip and Needy having sex for the first time, juxtaposed with Jennifer killing and eating Colin.
66	* ConsumingPassion: The whole movie runs on this. There are sexual undertones to Jennifer [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything eating boys.]] And Jennifer's "I go both ways" is often a statement used when saying someone is bisexual.
67	* ContagiousPowers: [[spoiler:Being bitten by a demon and surviving gives you some of its power.]]
68	* CoolKidAndLoserFriendship: Currently the film provides the trope image. Jennifer and Needy have been friends since early childhood. However, they are clearly drifting apart even before the plot picks up and it only goes worse from there. Eventually Needy has a revelation that [[spoiler: they [[FalseFriend never really were friends]] and Jennifer simply [[{{Irony}} needed Needy]] to feel better about herself and her self-esteem]].
69	* TheCorruption: How the whole succubus thing works. Jennifer gets really callous and sees nothing wrong with her new diet. [[spoiler: When she passes some of her curse on Needy, she gets just as vulgar and brutal, if not more so due to all the pent-up anger]].
70	* CountryMatters: [[spoiler:When Needy confronts Jennifer at the end, she's armed with a sharp utility knife. A knife for, in Needy's words, "cutting boxes." "Box" is also a euphemism for "vagina" — as is another certain insult. [[DontExplainTheJoke Needy is basically calling Jennifer a cunt.]]]]
71	* CreatorCameo: Creator/DiabloCody appears as the Melody Lane's bartender.
72	* CreepyStalkerVan: Satan-worshipping {{Emo}} band [[RockMeAsmodeus Low Shoulder]] grabs Jennifer and takes her away in their van, providing the current page quote for the trope.
73	-->'''Needy:''' They took her in their spooky van with the windows all blacked out.\
74	'''Chip:''' Did you get the model?\
75	'''Needy:''' I don't know, Chip! An '89 ''Rapist?''
76	* CulturallyReligious: Needy appears to be nominally Catholic since her mom crosses herself after talking about Jesus' crucifixion; later, she calls on God along with a couple of saints while fighting Jennifer.
77	* CursedWithAwesome:
78	** Jennifer believes that her possession is essentially this (in a deleted scene, she is openly amused when Needy speculates about a possible cure for Jennifer's curse), and aside from being somehow even more beautiful, she gains a HealingFactor and SuperStrength. She does, however, suffer from HorrorHunger and it affects her pretty badly when she's not eating regularly - but she scoffs it off entirely.
79	** [[spoiler:Needy herself becomes CursedWithAwesome at the end of the movie, with all the perks of Jennifer's curse, but none of the disadvantages.]]
80	* CynicismCatalyst: [[spoiler:Chip, who gets devoured by succubus Jennifer and succumbs to his injuries before his girlfriend Needy can save him. Ultimately, his death sets off Needy's quest for revenge.]]
81	* DateRape: What Needy fears happened to Jennifer the night she left with the band in their van, but something much worse took place.
82	* DealWithTheDevil: Low Shoulder tries to do this to become successful.
83	* DemonicPossession: Jennifer, after being sacrificed by a band. Interestingly, the demon doesn't seem to take over her entire personality, but amplifies her {{Jerkass}} tendencies up to eleven. She also suffers from a nasty HorrorHunger, and gains supernatural powers such as [[SuperStrength increased strength]] and [[HealingFactor healing]], [[PowerFloats levitation]], and [[OffscreenTeleportation teleportation]].
84	* DepravedBisexual:
85	-->'''Needy:''' I thought you only killed boys?\
86	'''Jennifer:''' I go both ways.
87	* DidYouJustHaveSex:
88	--> '''Jennifer:''' It smells like Thai food in here. Have you guys been fucking?
89	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Jennifer's abduction by Low Shoulder has some extremely rapey overtones. They take advantage of her shock at the bar burning down to ply her with drink, bundle her into their van, and drive off into the woods. During the journey, a terrified Jennifer even outright asks if they're rapists, and doesn't get a straight answer. Afterwards, her behavior is noticeably different, with inappropriate emotional outbursts (in this case, demonic possession, but this is also a sign of trauma). Needy must then watch everyone venerate and adore the men she knows did something horrible to her friend. Later on Jennifer recounts what happened to Needy, how they tied her down helplessly as she'd very obviously feared they'd rape her. It turns out they had [[VirginSacrifice even worse in store]] though.
90	* DramaticNecklaceRemoval: [[spoiler:Needy does this to Jennifer.]]
91	* EmoTeen: Colin is a pretty classic example, with short spiky dyed black hair, eye shadow, and piercings. He also dresses in mostly black or dark colors. He's mentioned as having a fixation about death and similar dark subjects; Colin's even called emo. Meanwhile, his friends display the stereotypes even ''more'' heavily.
92	* EveryoneHasStandards: Dirk from Low Shoulder is against the idea of sacrificing Jennifer to Satan. Nikolai from the band then asks him if he wants to work the rest of his life in a coffee shop and be a big loser or "to be rich and awesome like that guy from Maroon 5". [[SubvertedTrope Dirk chooses the latter option.]] He's still not exactly happy with it, though, and can be seen looking away as Nikolai stabs Jennifer.
93	* EvilTastesGood: Jennifer describes the post-feeding "buzz" like this:
94	-->'''Jennifer:''' "I feel scrumptious! You know when you kiss a boy for the first time, and it feels like your entire body is on vibrate?"\
95	'''Needy:''' "Yeah."\
96	'''Jennifer:''' "It's that good."
97	* ExtremeDoormat: Needy to Jennifer, at the beginning.
98	* FakeBand: Low Shoulder, [[spoiler:who use Satanism and targeting underage girls for virginal sacrifice to achieve their fame]].
99	* FanDisservice:
100	** Yes, it is Creator/MeganFox, but it is somewhat challenging to find Jennifer sexy when she's covered in blood, has a mouthful of sharp piranha teeth, and is acting creepy as hell. Not to mention the way her [[FacialHorror cheeks split open]] when she feeds.
101	** Chip and Needy's sex scene starts erotic. Then it turns nightmarish and awkward very quickly as Needy begins hallucinating blood dripping down the walls, Colin's death, Jonas' corpse, and a demonic-looking Jennifer watching her and Chip mistaking her gasps of panic for pleasure.
102	* FauxAffablyEvil: Low Shoulder might be considered this, especially the lead singer Nikolai. He chats with Jennifer in an almost friendly manner and jokes around as [[spoiler:he's preparing to sacrifice her to Satan]].
103	* FilleFatale: Jennifer is this, as she is in high school, but uses her sexuality to get into bars, pay for drinks, seduce boys, and lose her virginity to a cop. The fact that the same cop she teases in Melody Lane tells her "not here" since they are in public only adds to this.
104	* FingerSuckHealing: In a flashback, Needy did this for Jennifer when they were children. It is implied that this is why Needy can sense when Jennifer is about to kill someone.
105	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
106	** At the very beginning, Needy kicks an orderly at the prison psych ward with such force that she ends up flying across the table, and even [[TheToothHurts knocks out one of her teeth]]. [[spoiler:It later turns out that she gained some of Jennifer's demonic powers, such as SuperStrength.]]
107	** Needy asks the front man of Low Shoulder why they're playing all the way out in Devil's Kettle when they're from the big city and could presumably get gigs there. He fumbles the question and quickly changes the subject--because, of course, the real reason they're in town is to find a sacrificial victim.
108	** When the teacher is mentioning the victims of the Melody Lane fire, Jennifer giggles after he says the name of Ahmet, the Indian exchange student. [[spoiler:As it turns out, Ahmet was Jennifer's first victim.]]
109	* FriendVersusLover: Needy is torn between her devotion to her loving boyfriend Chip and her toxic best friend, Jennifer.
110	* FullyEmbracedFiend: Jennifer has absolutely ''zero'' issues with being a murderous monster right from the start and finds it amusing that she's a LiteralManeater.
111	* GigglingVillain: Jennifer indulges in some very creepy giggling shortly after her possession.
112	* GlasgowGrin: Jennifer's face when she feeds has shades of this. When she opens her mouth to eat Jonas, her cheeks visibly split open.
113	* TheGlassesGottaGo: [[spoiler:A twofer - not only does Needy get a [[GirlinessUpgrade sexy upgrade]] in the end, but her newfound HealingFactor means she doesn't even need the glasses anymore.]]
114	* GodivaHair: Jennifer, before she eats Jonas, is completely naked, with only her hair covering her breasts (barely).
115	* GoneHorriblyRight: Low Shoulder's "virgin" sacrifice. It got them fame and fortune (and drugs and hos), but it ''also'' brought back a man-eating demon.
116	* {{Gorn}}: Jonas's corpse is briefly shown with entrails hanging out for all to see. We later see Colin's messy corpse, but it isn't nearly as graphic as the state of Jonas's.
117	* GoryDiscretionShot: For most of the deaths, although we do get to see their messy remains afterward.
118	* GoshDangItToHeck: Needy usually uses only euphemisms rather than actual expletives. [[OutOfCharacterAlert When she swears for real]], it's a sign that she's ''very'' upset.
119	* {{Goth}}: Colin, who wears eyeliner, dark nail polish, black and red-colored clothes, band bracelets, and a crucifix.
120	* GothsHaveItHard: Parodied. Colin is a downbeat-seeming goth who is shown to be attracted to the dark side but is actually a nice guy with a very normal life that's contrasted against Needy and Jennifer's problems. After [[spoiler:his death]], his goth friends are shown to be near-obsessed with his grave and being the center of attention. However, Colin's mom, who is genuinely devastated, calls it out for being performative and shoos them away.
121	* GreatBigLibraryOfEverything: Parodied when Needy discovers the truth about Jennifer's demonic possession from books found in the school library.
122	--> '''Chip:''' We have an ''[[LampshadeHanging occult section]]'' in the library?\
123	'''Needy:''' Yeah. It's really small.
124	* GreaterScopeVillain: Jennifer may be the main antagonist, but it was the actions of Low Shoulder in favor of none other than {{Satan}} that turned her into a monster.
125	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Needy is both very blonde and the most innocent character in the movie.
126	* HappyFlashback: There are several {{flashback}}s about Needy and Jennifer's childhood. These scenes have [[FlashbackEffects bright colors]] compared to the rest of the movie.
127	* HateSink: Nikolai Wolf, lead singer of Low Shoulder, is the only character with no redeeming qualities. At first he appears to be a standard {{Jerkass}} rock star, making misogynistic comments and seemingly creeping on Jennifer, who's a minor. Then, it's revealed that he's a Satanist plotting to sacrifice her for fame. After it's strongly implied he supernaturally started a fire that kills dozens, he gleefully kills Jennifer. Moreso, he exploits the aforementioned fire to make his band look good, falsely claiming to have saved people from the flames.
128	* HealingFactor: Jennifer gains healing powers upon her possession. The healing is faster after she's recently fed — when she's weaker, the healing is slower.
129	* HeartInTheWrongPlace: Jennifer places Jonas's hand above her left breast and asks him to feel her heart.
130	* HoistByHisOwnPetard[=/=]KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Needy murders the members of Low Shoulder with the same knife they used to sacrifice Jennifer. To further add insult to injury, she leaves the knife embedded in ringleader Nikolai's chest.]]
131	* HollywoodHypeMachine: From the marketing to even the movie poster at the top of the page, this movie was pretty much an attempt to cash in on Megan Fox's status as an "It Girl." It backfired.
132	* HollywoodSatanism: Low Shoulder is this trope with their Satanic Bibles. They end up kidnapping and murdering Jennifer; they are an indie/rock band (so not the heavy metal usually associated with this trope), which indicates that the trope is deliberately invoked.
133	* HomoeroticSubtext: A fair amount between Jennifer and Needy. Their PseudoRomanticFriendship is established early on, with Needy staring rather wistfully at Jennifer (causing a classmate to call them "[=LesbiGay=]"), and Jennifer seeming very possessive of Needy around the latter's boyfriend. After Jennifer gets possessed, she becomes increasingly fixated on Needy and starts specifically targeting boys in whom Needy has an interest. Meanwhile, it's implied that Needy develops a PsychicLink with Jennifer as a result of some FingerSuckHealing from when they were little; she starts seeing visions of Jennifer seducing (and then [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence murdering]]) her victims. It then goes beyond subtext during their passionate make-out session, after which Jennifer claims that she and Needy often used to "play boyfriend and girlfriend" when they were younger.
134	* HoneyTrap: Jennifer, once possessed, uses her sex appeal to seduce many boys so they'll go off with her somewhere secluded, then eats them alive.
135	* HorrorHunger: For everyone else involved, Jennifer seems to have no qualms about her new diet whatsoever.
136	* HowWeGotHere: The film starts with Needy in a prison psych ward, and most of the film consists of her showing us how she got to that point. As an additional layer of this, the film initially flashes back to [[spoiler:the night Needy kills Jennifer]] before going to the true start of the narrative.
137	* IdealizedSex: Averted. Needy and Chip's first time having sex, while enjoyable (at first) and romantic, is appropriately awkward and low key. It also gets cut short before either can "finish" due to Needy becoming distressed and scared because she has a vision of Jennifer killing Colin. They also mention getting condoms earlier. Before starting, they're seen using one they had at the ready.
138	* IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace: Devil's Kettle.
139	* IHaveBoobsYouMustObey: Jennifer uses this to get drinks, despite being underage. She explicitly calls Needy's tits "smart bombs" for their destructive power.
140	* ImAHumanitarian: Jennifer butchers and devours her victims.
141	* ImpactSilhouette: [[spoiler:When Needy escapes the prison psych ward at the end, she walks straight through the wire fence, leaving a large hole in her wake.]]
142	* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Chip impales Jennifer with a large pole just before he dies. It doesn't kill her, but he deserves points for trying.]]
143	* ImperfectRitual: Another "[[HumanSacrifice sacrifice]] is not [[VirginSacrifice a virgin]]" example: the rockers sacrifice Jennifer thinking she's a virgin, but since she's not, a succubus takes over her body.
144	* IndecisiveParody: One common criticism of the movie is that it flops back and forth between being intentionally silly and seemingly taking itself seriously.
145	* IntentionallyAwkwardTitle: Just try saying "Jennifer's Body" in a casual conversation without adding the words "the movie" before it. See what happens.
146	* {{Irony}}: Near the end of the film, a road sign warning about Low Shoulder is shown.
147	* JailbaitTaboo: The cop Jennifer lost her virginity to worriedly stops her kissing him while they're in public, as she's underage.
148	* {{Jerkass}}:
149	** Jennifer starts out as one, but [[TookALevelInJerkass she becomes]] [[KickTheDog a lot crueler]] [[DemonicPossession after her possession]].
150	** Also [[FauxAffablyEvil Nikolai]], who [[spoiler:on top of kidnapping a girl, trying to sacrifice her to Satan (and killing her)]], is a total jerk as well.
151	* JumpScare: Used a few times, most notably when Jennifer is suddenly standing ''right'' [[RightBehindMe behind Needy]] shortly after her murder and possession, and then later in the same scene when she suddenly lets out a demonic roar. Also, when a bird frightens Colin as he tries to find Jennifer in the partially-constructed house.
152	* KickTheDog: Jennifer loves doing this, particularly after her possession.
153	* LeanAndMean: Nikolai's willowy build is used to make him more menacing. Needy describes him as "skinny and twisted and evil," comparing him to a petrified tree she saw as a small child.
154	* LevitatingLotusPosition: Near the end, Needy's shown to have the levitation ability Jennifer had by floating up from the floor of her isolation cell to the window in the lotus position, after which she escapes by kicking through it.
155	* LipstickLesbian:
156	** Jennifer, who seems to be a lipstick bisexual, has long hair, wears feminine clothing (including very short skirts) at all times, having sex with a lot of men. She also seems very into her female best friend Needy. Actress Creator/MeganFox says she played her as a very closeted lesbian.
157	** Needy, conversely, has a boyfriend who she seems into but also appears to find Jennifer attractive. She dresses more frumpily, but in a likewise feminine way, and thus [[AmbiguouslyBi may also be]] a lipstick bisexual.
158	* LiteralManeater: Jennifer. She seduces boys before eating them alive.
159	* LoserFriendPuzzlesOutsiders: Inverted. It's Needy's circle that's confused over why she's hanging out with someone like [[AlphaBitch Jennifer]] or how they even know each other.
160	* LoveTriangle: Jennifer/Needy/Chip, invoked by Jennifer.
161	* MamaBear: Needy's mother invokes this.
162	--> '''Ms. Lesnicki:''' I dreamed some bad people were trying to nail you to a tree with hammers and big stakes and shit. Just like [[Literature/TheBible J.C.]] But I didn't let 'em get to you, 'cause I'm a hard-assed, Ford-tough mama bear.
163	* ManipulativeBitch: Jennifer is an example of the type that ''doesn't'' have some big, complicated plan. Even when she starts killing people, her transparent playing on Needy's insecurities is closer to simple AlphaBitch bullying than towards any actual goal.
164	* ManlyTears: Jonas, after his BestFriend dies in the fire.
165	* MeaningfulName:
166	** The title.
167	** You'd never guess what Needy's defining trait is.
168	** The town too. Of course, a demonic sacrifice would happen in a town called "Devil's Kettle."
169	* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Well, according to Jennifer, they are. [[spoiler:She decides to make an exception for Needy, though. Nice of her, wasn't it?]]
170	* MercyKill: [[spoiler:Jennifer was basically a walking dead person after getting possessed and so Needy killing her, while done out of revenge, pretty much put her out of her misery.]]
171	* ModestyBedsheet: After Needy breaks off having sex with Chip, she covers herself with the sheet.
172	* MoodWhiplash: Intentionally invoked in the scene that jumps between Jennifer seducing, then devouring some poor schmuck and [[spoiler:Needy and Chip's SugarWiki/{{WAFF}}y sex]].
173	* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Jennifer has lots of sharp little piranha-style teeth when feeding on people.
174	* {{Motifs}}: A "cross" symbol shows up multiple times. There's one on the bottom of the isolation cell [[spoiler:Needy]] is placed into, crosses[[note]]In the form of the letter X, used to denote people under 21 who can't be served alcohol. For this reason, it quickly became a symbol of the UsefulNotes/StraightEdge movement.[[/note]] are drawn onto the hands of Melody Lane patrons, and, in the end, [[spoiler:Needy slashes a cross shape into Jennifer's torso]]. This also extends to the dialogue ("Boo, cross out Needy").
175	* MsFanservice:
176	** The studio built the entire marketing campaign on Megan Fox's hotness; she's often shown [[LegFocus baring her legs]], revealing cleavage, and otherwise just generally looking alluring.
177	** Despite efforts to make her look less beautiful, Amanda Seyfried's attractive even so, and it really can't be hidden. Her form is often highlighted, plus she's got a sex scene (though it's not explicit).
178	** They both get into the act with [[GirlOnGirlIsHot Jennifer and Needy making out in her bedroom]].
179	* NerdGlasses: Needy wears them, as the integral part of her HollywoodHomely get-up.
180	* NeverTrustATrailer: Not only did the trailer contain some great one-liners cut out of the actual movie, but it also heavily played up the {{fanservice}} at the expense of the film's plot and themes. Karyn Kusama was [[https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/louispeitzman/jennifers-body-diablo-cody-karyn-kusama-feminist-horror not pleased.]]
181	* NiceGuy: Chip and Colin. Needy was a NiceGirl before the events of the movie totally [[BreakTheCutie broke her]].
182	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Needy overhears Low Shoulder arguing about whether Jennifer is a virgin or not. Believing them to be just your run-of-the-mill sleazy bros trying to get into a small-town girl's pants, she tells them that Jennifer ''is'' a virgin because she has taste, and therefore they have no chance. Unfortunately for everybody in this movie, they actually want something a little more esoteric.
183	* NightmareFace: Jennifer, when feeding. She gains sharp little piranha-like teeth, her mouth splits open extremely wide, GlasgowGrin style, and she gains HellishPupils.
184	* NinjaPirateRobotZombie: Chip invokes this when he says this about Jonas's mother: "She's staring out the window like a zombie mannequin robot statue."
185	* NotUsingTheZWord: Jennifer is never called a vampire, despite meeting the standard criteria: a fanged, bloodthirsty undead creature of demonic nature with contagious bites who must feed on the living to retain her beauty and can only be killed by a weapon piercing her heart.
186	* NotWhatItLooksLike: Played for some very dark laughs and also drama. [[spoiler:After having a brutal fight with Jennifer and barely managing to kill her, Needy is found over the still warm body by Jennifer's mother. Needy gets incarcerated and put in a ward for the criminally insane, since obviously her claim about killing a man-eating demon isn't going to convince anyone.]]
187	* NothingIsScarier: Used to great effect shortly before Needy discovers Jennifer in her house. She knows something is off, but spends a good two minutes stumbling around a seemingly empty, silent house.
188	* ObviouslyEvil: Nikolai, Low Shoulder's lead singer, is this in Needy's eyes.
189	-->'''Needy:''' I watched her get into that van, and I knew something awful was going to happen. He was skinny and twisted and evil like this petrified tree I saw when I was a kid.
190	* OddFriendship: Jennifer and Needy. They have nothing in common but have been best friends since they were very young. Unfortunately, Jennifer is a pretty toxic friend even before she gets possessed.
191	* OffscreenTeleportation: With a bit of creepy echoing whispers too.
192	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Needy's first name is Anita, but almost no one uses it.
193	* OurDemonsAreDifferent: These possess non-virgins sacrificed in Satanic rituals, and give their hosts superhuman abilities in exchange for feeding roughly once a month. If that feeding isn't met, they fade away and cause their hosts to wither. They can be killed via a blade to the heart, and those who survive their bites can inherit their abilities.
194	* OutlivingOnesOffspring:
195	** Imagine being in the shoes of Jennifer's mother. [[spoiler:You come into your daughter's bedroom, not suspecting a thing is wrong, only to find that she's been (or so it seems) murdered by her best friend.]]
196	** Jonas and Colin's parents have to deal with the fact that their sons were brutally murdered and eaten.
197	** Imagine also being Ahmet's parents. [[spoiler:Your son goes on an exchange trip to a foreign country, only to presumably die in an out-of-control fire... except he's actually been eaten alive.]]
198	* OutOfCharacterAlert:
199	** While not the nicest person before her possession, Jennifer's callous disregard for the deaths that resulted from the Melody Lane fire shocks Needy and is another tip-off that something is wrong with her friend.
200	** Jennifer's also surprised when Needy [[PrecisionFStrike uses the f word]] since she usually never swears, showing just how upset Needy's gotten.
201	* PosterGalleryBedroom: Needy and Chip’s bedrooms have some wall art, but Jennifer has a noticeably large and colorful array of posters above the headboard of her bed. All visible ones advertise real bands and media, with a Fall Out Boy poster being front and center.
202	* PinkIsErotic: Pink is used predominantly in the film and is associated with Jennifer, a sexually confident teenager who is possessed by a succubus who [[LiteralManeater seduces men so she can eat them]].
203	* PopCulturalOsmosisFailure:
204	** Colin tries to ask Jennifer out to see ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'' — She tells him that she doesn't like [[{{Film/Rocky}} boxing movies]].
205	** When Chip name-drops Music/PhilCollins, Needy genuinely has no idea who he is.
206	* PopularIsDumb: Jennifer, who is far ditzier than the less popular Needy.
207	* PowerFloats: Jennifer is revealed as able to levitate post-possession. Later, we're shown that Needy also can. This provides the page quote, too.
208	* ThePowerOfFriendship: Jennifer [[spoiler:loses her ability to levitate]] when Needy [[spoiler:rips off her BFF necklace]].
209	* PragmaticVillainy: At first, Jennifer only feeds when she absolutely ''has'' to, going at least a month in-between killing [[spoiler:Jonas]] and [[spoiler:Colin]]. However, she [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope eventually]] starts killing simply for the hell of it...
210	* PreMortemOneLiner: Kind of, since it's not said to the victim (but precedes the credits during which the act is shown).
211	-->'''Passing Motorist:''' So, why are you headed east?\
212	'''[[spoiler:Needy]]:''' I'm following this rock band.\
213	'''Driver:''' Must be one hell of a group.\
214	'''[[spoiler:Needy]]:''' Tonight's gonna be their last show.
215	* PsychicLink: It's strongly implied that Jennifer and Needy have one, following an incident when they were children in which Needy sucked the blood from a puncture on Jennifer's hand.
216	* PsychosexualHorror: The story centers around Jennifer, a sexually confident teenager who is possessed by a succubus [[LiteralManeater who seduces men so she can eat them]]. There are several implications that one of the themes in the story is how Jennifer is actually deeply insecure about being treated as a sex object and that she is dealing with her own attraction to her best friend Anita "Needy" Lesnicki.
217	* RealityIsUnrealistic: The Devil's Kettle is a real waterfall. Half the river does disappear into the ground. Scientists have ''no idea'' where it comes back out. The town in the movie doesn't exist, however.
218	* ReallyGetsAround: It's mentioned that Jennifer's very promiscuous, and lost her virginity in JuniorHigh. This makes it all the more ironic that she's used in a ''{{virgin sacrifice}}''.
219	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After years of Jennifer being a toxic friend to her, it takes Needy seeing Jennifer devouring her boyfriend Chip for her to fight back and finally call her out on her BS during their fight at the pool scene.
220	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: [[spoiler:After discovering that she has gained some of the demon's powers, Needy uses them to escape the prison psych ward, so she can track down and murder all of Low Shoulder.]]
221	* RockMeAsmodeus: Low Shoulder, the indie band that tries to sacrifice Jennifer to get a record deal.
222	* RuleOfPool: Just before Jennifer [[spoiler:eats Chip, Needy's boyfriend, she tosses him into a pool while he is wearing ''formal wear''. She then proceeds to jump in after him. Followed soon by Needy.]]
223	* RunningGag: One character continually refers to Devil's Kettle as "[[AccidentalMisnaming Devil's Lake]]."
224	* ScarsAreForever: [[spoiler: In the end, Needy has [[AcheyScars itchy, irritated scars]] left on her by Jennifer, in what's implied to be months after killing her. To make it stand out more, her newfound HealingFactor allowed her to ditch her glasses, but the scars are still there]].
225	* SceneryPorn: The scene where Jennifer is swimming naked in a lake. The first shot of the scene is actually a wide-angle overhead shot with Jennifer's body only a speck — she's relatively easy to miss, so for that shot at least, the lake is the emphasis.
226	* SelfHarm: Jennifer burns her own tongue with a cigarette lighter, and slashes herself in front of Needy when she decides to share her "secret" with her.
227	* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Low Shoulder is living this lifestyle when we see them on tour at the end of the movie.
228	* SexEqualsDeath: Played with, then played straight. Jennifer is actually ''saved'' by sex...into a FateWorseThanDeath (as a cannibalistic zombie/corpse). However, [[spoiler:Colin]] and [[spoiler:Jonas]] fall for this because they're ripped apart over the chance to have sex with Jennifer.
229	* SexSells: Just watch the film's ad campaign. Heck, the film is named after it.
230	* SexySurfacingShot: Jennifer climbing out of the lake nude after she goes SkinnyDipping, shot from behind using ToplessnessFromTheBack.
231	* ShadowDiscretionShot: When Jennifer [[spoiler:kills Colin]].
232	* SharedUniverse: With ''Film/LisaFrankenstein''.
233	* ShouldersUpNudity
234	** When Jennifer takes off her shirt to seduce Jonas, the camera doesn't pan below her shoulders, except for a brief GodivaHair shot.
235	** When Jennifer emerges from the lake and walks up to her clothes naked, the camera either stays above her collarbone or focuses on her [[FootFocus bare feet]] and [[LegFocus legs]].
236	** Similarly, when Needy is having sex with Chip, the camera stays above her breasts in the moments when she's not covered by him or something else.
237	* ShutUpHannibal: When Needy calls out Jennifer's toxic behavior in the poolhouse:
238	-->'''Jennifer:''' ''(stuttering, visibly shaken by words)'' That is a joke. I am not insecure. How can you say I am insecure? I was the Snow Flake queen!\
239	'''Needy:''' Yeah, two years ago when you were socially relevant and when you didn’t need laxatives to stay skinny!\
240	'''Jennifer:''' [[VillainousBreakdown I... am going to eat your soul...]] [[SuddenlyShouting AND SHIT IT OUT, LESNICKI!]]
241	* SickeningCrunch: Heard when Jennifer brutally snaps [[spoiler:Colin's]] arm before she kills him.
242	* SillyPrayer: Needy gives a surprisingly serious (but still darkly comic) one as [[spoiler:she sees Jennifer eating Chip and prepares to kill her for real this time]].
243	-->'''Needy:''' St. Jude, patron saint of hopeless causes, [[SophisticatedAsHell please give me the power to totally crush this bitch]].
244	* SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer: Creator/AmandaSeyfried ''does'' appear in the trailers, but apart from her name on top, she is absent from all the posters, which focus exclusively on Creator/MeganFox.
245	* SlidingScaleOfComedyAndHorror: It slides all around this. Scenes go from funny to shocking to funny, then back to shocking, usually with quite a bit of sexy in the middle.
246	* SlumberParty: Discussed when Jennifer appears in Needy's bed and reminisces about the sleepovers she had with her. Jennifer also tries to invoke this by appearing in said bed and then suggesting she and Needy "play boyfriend and girlfriend like [they] used to."
247	* SoundtrackDissonance:
248	** Tracks like Panic! at the Disco's "New Perspective" and Florence and the Machine's "A Kiss with a Fist" seem a bit light for a horror movie.
249	** Not to mention an in-movie example when Low Shoulder sings Music/TommyTutone's "867-5309/Jenny" as they murder Jennifer.
250	* StealthParody: A flimsy plot held together with [[{{Squick}} squicky]] {{Fanservice}} and generous helpings of [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall self-aware]] BuffySpeak.
251	* StealthPun: That quick one-liner when Jennifer calls Chip "lime green jello," when calling him jealous.
252	* SuburbanGothic: Jennifer is sacrificed to Satan in the woods behind a local bar and then becomes a succubus, eating her way through the boys at her suburban Minnesota high school.
253	* SuccubiAndIncubi: Jennifer gets possessed by a succubus, whose influence amplifies her {{jerkass}} tendencies along with causing her to ''literally'' feed on men once she's seduced them.
254	* SuperStrength:
255	** Jennifer gains this power following her possession, enabling her to seriously overpower Jonas, who is described as "the biggest guy in school." She also throws Colin around like a rag doll.
256	** [[spoiler:Needy also gains this power after being bitten by Jennifer.]]
257	* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: [[spoiler:Needy's ultimate fate. She doesn't get away with killing Jennifer nor achieves a victory of any kind, nor is she hailed a hero. She's put in a prison psych ward, likely to spend there rest of her days there, and probably only avoided general population due to her absolute conviction she was fighting against a succubus and the fact she's still a minor, which surely got her deemed psychotic. On top of that, all the trauma and suffering she went through the movie turns her into a bitter, cynical person with a particularly bleak stance on life and fellow humans who beats up orderlies regularly, then violently murders several men (who all [[AssholeVictim definitely had it coming]], but still). At the end she's free, but will likely have to remain as a fugitive for the rest of her life.]]
258	* SuspiciouslyAproposMusic: In the end, when [[spoiler:Needy goes to kill Low Shoulder for all they've done]], the song "Violet" by Hole plays in the background with the lyrics almost sounding in tune with the situation of what's going on and referring to greed and instant payback.
259	* TakeThat: Some to {{Goth}} and {{Emo}} subcultures:
260	** When Chip and Needy talk about Colin:
261	-->'''Chip:''' How are you friends with Colin Gray? I thought Colin Gray only talked to the Dead Girls.\
262	'''Needy:''' I just am. We have Composition together. He's a really good writer. You know, he's so dark and emotional and all.\
263	'''Chip:''' Oh. I can relate. I'm also like that, even if I'm not all obvious about it like a poseur.
264	** Jennifer mocks Colin when his arm gets cut by a pair of hedge clippers:
265	-->'''Jennifer:''' Oh! A puncture wound. God, that's ''so'' emo.
266	** She also says this about him:
267	-->'''Jennifer:''' He listens to maggot rock. He wears nail polish. My dick is bigger than his.
268	* [[ThatManIsDead That Woman Is Dead]]: After being [[BreakTheCutie well and truly broken]], Needy states in a narration that she doesn't know who Needy Lesnicki is anymore.
269	* TheirFirstTime: Needy and Chip decide to have sex together the first time. It's tender and sweet, though a bit realistically awkward. Unfortunately, it's interrupted since Needy's seeing Jennifer's killing of Colin at the same time while they're having sex, seriously disturbing her, and so she breaks it off.
270	* ThousandYardStare:
271	** After [[spoiler:Chip dies in her arms]], [[HeroicBSOD Needy returns home, lies on her bed, and just stares into space]]. She later has another, smaller one after [[spoiler:she kills Jennifer and the latter's mother walks in]].
272	** Jonas's mother takes to staring blankly out of her window after her son is murdered.
273	* TooHungryToBePolite: Jennifer, when she tries to eat the chicken from Needy's fridge. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, succubi aren't prone to digest human food]].
274	* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler:Needy, twice. First, when she gains enough resolve to confront and ultimately stop (read: kill) Jennifer. Then, she gets another after gaining some of the demon's powers and becoming institutionalized - by then she exercises her revange on Low Shoulder, brutally murdering the entire band for everything they've caused.]]
275	* TookALevelInJerkass:
276	** Jennifer [[AlphaBitch isn't the most]] [[{{Jerkass}} pleasant person]] [[WithFriendsLikeThese to be around]], but becomes a ''lot'' nastier after becoming possessed.
277	** Also, [[TraumaCongaLine every traumatic thing]] that happens to Needy turns her into a [[BreakTheCutie bitter, angry, violent shell of her former self]].
278	* TotallyRadical: Some very fake-sounding "teen slang" gets used, including Jennifer saying "salty" to mean "hot".
279	* TouchedByVorlons: [[spoiler:Needy gains some of Jennifer's demon powers after being bitten by her. She uses them to break out of the prison psych ward and kill Low Shoulder.]]
280	* ToxicFriendInfluence: Jennifer is a toxic friend to Needy even before becoming possessed by a demon.
281	* TraumaButton: The song "Through The Trees" by Low Shoulder is this for Needy. Every time she hears it, she hates it and nearly bursts into tears because of it. It doesn't help that the same song plays even after tragic events like Melody Lane burning down, Jennifer disappearing with Low Shoulder, or Jonas found disemboweled in the woods.
282	* TwoLinesNoWaiting: The [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence Jennifer-Colin and Needy-Chip sex scenes]] are made this way, with constant intercuts.
283	* UglyHeroGoodLookingVillain: PlayedWith. Jennifer is your standard queen bee and that goes on an overdrive when she [[CameBackWrong becomes a succubus]]. Meanwhile Needy is a frumpy, nerdy girl -- but she's still played by a [[HollywoodHomely dressed-down]] Creator/AmandaSeyfried.
284	* UngratefulBastard: On the last night she was alive and human, Jennifer was saved from the burning bar building by her friend Needy, but she tells her to go away and leaves with Low Shoulder in their creepy van instead.
285	-->'''Needy:''' Let's go, Jennifer.\
286	'''Jennifer:''' Needy, stop it!
287	* UnusualEuphemism: Jennifer seems to make half of her lines in this.
288	* VillainWithGoodPublicity: A rumor gets started that Low Shoulder rescued people from the bar fire, and everybody views them as heroes. Needy and Jennifer are apparently the only ones who don't buy it.
289	* VirginSacrifice: Low Shoulder tries to sacrifice Jennifer, thinking she's a virgin. Unfortunately, she's been [[ReallyGetsAround having sex since]] JuniorHigh. The ritual works as planned, but Jennifer gets possessed by a demon because she wasn't a virgin.
290	* TheVirus: [[spoiler:Needy finds out that being scratched and bitten by Jennifer rubbed some of her succubus powers off on her - ''without'' the disadvantages Jennifer was suffering from.]]
291	* VomitIndiscretionShot: Whenever [[spoiler:Jennifer vomits up that [[{{Squick}} demonic, spiny black sludge]]]].
292	* WeUsedToBeFriends: Jennifer and Needy start as [[BestFriend best friends]]. Then Jennifer gets possessed by a succubus, and things go downhill fast.
293	* WithFriendsLikeThese: Jennifer walks all over Needy, although the latter is in denial about it until the very end.
294	-->'''Needy:''' You know what? You were never really a good friend. Even when we were little, you used to steal my toys and pour lemonade on my bed.\
295	'''Jennifer:''' And now, I'm [[spoiler:eating your boyfriend]]. See? At least I'm consistent.
296	* WrongfullyCommitted: [[spoiler:If you claim that a demon possessed your best friend and you've killed her to stop the demonic rampage, you don't end up saving the day. You end up arrested and placed in a psych ward.]] [[CassandraTruth Poor Needy.]]

Context Film / JennifersBody