For a certain style of femme-forward horror movie, there are two eras: BJB (before Jennifer’s Body) and AJB (after Jennifer’s Body). The influence of the movie has been huge, albeit a bit delayed: Although it’s since been re-evaluated, director Karyn Kusama and screenwriter Diablo Cody’s horror collaboration was considered a failure upon its initial release. The world wasn’t quite ready for Jennifer’s Body back in 2009, but in 2026, it’s never been more relevant. It’s also easier to watch than ever, now that it’s streaming on Netflix.
In retrospect, marketing this movie—a female-led horror-comedy about slut-shaming and female friendship—to teenage boys just because one of its stars was considered a sex symbol was a ridiculous thing to do. But that’s exactly what 20th Century Fox did, running trailers that spotlighted a brief scene where Jennifer (Megan Fox) goes skinny-dipping and sexualizing the star on posters for the film. It backfired, as Jennifer’s Body was dismissed by critics and underperformed at the box office. Since then, co-star Amanda Seyfried has blamed the marketing for the film’s poor performance, saying, “The marketing sucked. It just did. And we all agree.”
