A Fox possessed in 'Jennifer's Body'

Jennifer's Body
Two stars

By Gary Buiso

“Jennifer’s Body” is an occasionally clever horror movie that is less about demonic possession and the occult than it is about the many ways to film starlet Megan Fox’s body.

A rock band version of “Rosemary’s Baby” and the “Breakfast Club,” the film is more ridiculous than scary, thanks to its screenwriter, Diablo Cody, who won an Oscar for penning the overrated “Juno.”

The film, directed by Karyn Kusama, is heavy on Cody-speak — a supremely grating hodgepodge of pop culture slang intermixed with heaps of post-pubescent irony. Despite this, “Jennifer’s Body” is a reasonably strong, albeit campy effort that suffers from angst of its own: its unsure if it’s a comedy or a horror movie.

After attending a concert that goes awry, popular girl Jennifer (Fox) suddenly has a craving for human flesh, and a predilection for puking up what appears to be sediment from the Gowanus Canal. The root of all the evil will come as no surprise to Tipper Gore.

Jennifer’s best friend forever, Needy (Amanda Seyfried), is helpless in the wake of the sudden carnage that befalls sleepy Devil’s Kettle, but is nonetheless determined to try to save her old sandbox chum — or at least prevent more boys from being eviscerated.

Fox apes the mean girls from “Heathers” well enough to present a convincing villain; she’s better here than in her largely silent, pouty role in the “Transformers” franchise. As her determined foil, the talented Seyfried (“Mama Mia!”) is up to the challenge, turning in another winning performance. Kusama (“Girlfight”) keeps the pace moving but struggles with thematic consistency.

“Jennifer’s Body” has plenty in mind, but, like, not enough soul.

“Jennifer’s Body.” Rated R for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use. Running time: 100 minutes. With Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, and Kyle Gallner.