Classic Film Review – Ginger Snaps (2000)

Ginger Snaps is a Canadian horror film from the early 2000’s starring Katharine Isabelle (American Mary, Hannibal) and Emily Perkins (IT, Supernatural). Following the story of two sisters who vow to stick together forever, but an attack by a strange animal, one night tears the girls apart. Ginger (Isabelle) is becoming a monster but could this be just a normal case of puberty? Or is she actually being a creature of the night?

Ginger Snaps has been one of my favourite films for a very long time, seeing it at a very young age made me love the horror genre. As I got older I searched for that thrill again. Seeing films like Scream (1996) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) also at a young age was exactly what I needed, even though they scared me I know that I would one day love horror films. Now at the age of 24 I have been a dedicated horror fan for about 8 years.

I am constantly searching for new and old horror films.

Ginger Snaps came back to my life when I was around 17 years old, this also begin my obsession with one of the films leading Stars Katharine Isabelle.

Ginger Snaps was released to audiences in mid 2000 and got rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival, however it did not do very well in its home country (Canada) getting a limited cinema release and a basic DVD release the film seemed to have ended there. However across the pond here in the United Kingdom Ginger Snaps was a complete hit selling nearly a million VHS copies in the films first year in 2001.

It wasn’t until US network HBO picked the film up that it began gaining its cult status. By this point the films cast had pretty much made a name for themselves with Katharine co starring in the 2003 horror epic Freddy Vs Jason and having a few cameo appearances in some TV shows across the USA.

With the films new found glory, it was revealed that the production company behind the cult horror hit were preparing for a sequel and in 2004 not only did we get the long awaited Ginger Snaps 2: unleashed but we got a third in the same year!

Ginger Snaps: the beginning. The sequels brought back the original films two leading ladies and fans ate the films up, despite getting a direct to DVD release the films saw a moderate success.

Still today Ginger Snaps is seen as one of those are horror films that actually has guts. And not in the bloody way. The films themes and underlining tones were a major part in the films success. Dealing with adolescence and the pressures of high school, while maintaining a gritty and real vibe the film truly deserves its cult status.

It even was Katharine Isabelle’s land mark role, until she hit bach at horror fans in 2012, almost 11 years after the films original success, with the monster Fright fest hit American Mary.

I love and adore this film for everything that it has doen and will do for horror fans. It really put a staple in the genre and really revived the werewolf genre. There are really no bad things I can say about this film. It is a masterpiece in my eyes and a one of a kind.

Ginger Snaps is frequently aired on the UK’s horror channel and is on and off of the Netflix. Unfortunately the film currently does not have a UK DVD release (although it is easy to find the old 2004 release) but has a fantastic region 1 Blu-Ray release which I encourage all fans of the film to get.

Ross Wilcock

Horror, Fantasy, Drama | Canada, 2000 | 18 | Dir.John Fawcett | Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Kris Lemche, Mimi Rogers, Jesse Moss