Teeny Ginger Face (Movie Review)

Gingers are typically distinguished by having freckles, green eyes, red or strawberry blonde hair (though I’ve also seen orange-ish hues). Not only are redheads distinctively beautiful; many redheads also face stereotypes that define them as quirky or morbid individuals; this doesn’t help their self-esteem much either.

Sally Potter (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Birds) brilliantly brings this tale of two sisters and best friends on the cusp of womanhood to life through their eyes. Elle Fanning makes an impactful debut as 13-year-old Ginger; Rosa (Alice Englert making her film debut) prefers poetry and activism over focussing on herself and Roland (Alessandro Nivola).

Both girls begin experiencing remarkable transformations at once, which their mother initially suspects of hormone-driven changes. Brigitte soon realizes there may be more going on when Ginger bites her classmate and has unprotected sex, sending Brigitte seeking Sam for advice; Sam tells Brigitte that Ginger may have been bitten by a werewolf and suggests infusing her blood with extract from monkshood, commonly known as wolfsbane.

Teenage Ginger Face is an outstanding and well-acted movie that will appeal to teens interested in horror and seeking something different than what is currently available on screen. Unlike other horror films of its ilk, Teenage Ginger Face presents some tense situations in a sensitive manner and could provide parents with an excellent discussion topic about puberty and its associated pressures for teenaged kids.