The Most Underappreciated Horror Movie of the '00s Is Now Streaming on Netflix

"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."

"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.""

"Kusama deliberately set out to play with that bombshell image by casting her in the role of Jennifer Check, a high school student who becomes a blood-drinking succubus after a run-in with a Satanic emo band on the night of a devastating fire. Even before her transformation, Jennifer has an edge to her: One of the movie's chief pleasures is in its witty dialogue, often enhanced with an eye roll and a hair toss from Fox."

"But it really sings when paired with bloody scenes where Jennifer rips horny high-school boys to shreds- a confrontational tactic that was too much for the male viewers studios were banking on to support a Megan Fox movie in 2009."

A female-led horror-comedy about slut-shaming and female friendship became widely relevant years after its release. The film initially struggled because marketing centered on sexualized imagery of its star, despite the story’s focus on a high school student who turns into a blood-drinking succubus after an encounter with a Satanic emo band. The movie’s witty dialogue and Megan Fox’s bombshell persona were used to build tension, then contrasted with graphic scenes where Jennifer attacks horny high-school boys. Critics dismissed the film and it underperformed at the box office, with later commentary pointing to marketing choices as a key factor. Streaming on Netflix made it easier to watch and re-evaluate.

Read at Inverse