Ginger Snaps 2 : Unleashed (2003)

In 2003 two movies inspired by “Ginger Snaps” were filmed. The first was a sequel titled “Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed” and the other was a prequel called “Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning”. At the moment I’m going to focus on the sequel and as most sequels go, it’s decent but not nearly as strong of a film as the original. First of all the title is a bit misleading because Ginger died in the first movie and is still dead. She does make a couple of appearances as a ghost/vision that talks to her sister Brigitte. The movie also tries (half-heartedly) to compare her symptoms to those of a recovery drug addict. It doesn’t work but luckily it doesn’t interfere with the movie too much. I do want to point out that I really enjoy and appreciate the creative choice in this film series to have the change into the wolf form a permanent metamorphosis. They are unable to change back and forth so the stakes are drastically raised to keep their humanity and prevent the change as long as they can.

The film begins some time after the original. Brigitte is on the run across the suburbs of Canada. She is taking doses of monkshood to keep from turning into a wolf creature like her sister Ginger had. She is seen cutting herself and keeping a detailed record on how long the cuts take to heal. The quicker they heal, she realizes, the sooner she is doomed to complete the change into the beast. The monkshood is not a cure but only slows down the process, so she decides to take a second dose in one day…which turns out to be nearly fatal. After taking the second dose, she hears the male werewolf that has been stalking her (Ginger’s ex-boyfriend from the first movie), and runs out of her apartment but suffers from shock from her OD. When she wakes up, she finds herself in a drug rehab center. The staff believes she using the monkshood to get high and her cuts are the results are her being a “cutter”. She tries to escape and fails but is able to steal a piece of glass so she can continue timing her cut/healing rate.

At the hospital she meets Tyler, an orderly who offers her monkshood in exchange for sexual favors, which Brigitte promptly turns down. She also meets a young girl called Ghost who is at the hospital with her grandmother, who had suffered 3^rd degree burns over her body. Ghost comes and goes as she pleases throughout the clinic and quickly attaches herself to Brigitte. Ghost is clever enough, as well as imaginative enough, to figure out what Brigitte is. She tries to help by sneaking Brigitte some monkshood but they are caught by Tyler. Eventually Tyler gives in and lets Brigitte have some monkshood. Soon, Brigitte and Ghost escape from the hospital and drive out to where Ghost and her grandmother lived. There they prepare to fend themselves to kill the male werewolf that has tracked Brigitte down.

Favorite part – The last 15 minutes. Once the film changes scenery from the hospital to Ghost’s house, the pace picks up and becomes much more plausible and enjoyable.