I’m very confused by this weekend’s box office results. Diablo Cody, Oscar-winning screenwriter, and Transformers star Megan Fox released a horror-comedy, and it only managed to take 5th place, pulling in just over $6 million in its opening weekend. What?!

So, why didn’t the movie perform as expected? Megan Fox did a full-on media blitz. She was everywhere, from magazine covers to viral interviews. Hell, the last Megan Fox post on Dangerbowie.com resulted in a 200% increase in traffic, so awareness was not an issue.

Even screenwriter Diablo Cody was out promoting the film. She won an Oscar for Juno, so the creative pedigree was there. However, the movie didn’t land as it should have. Perhaps the R-rating deterred a significant portion of the teen audience. Or maybe it’s true what people on the internet are saying about horror-comedies not performing well in the States.

Apparently, Americans will flock to see giant robots dance, and they’ll swoon over sparkling teen vampires, but the idea of a clever horror-comedy like Evil Dead or Gremlins doesn’t click with the mainstream. That’s nonsense.

Let me just say: I stand behind Jennifer’s Body. It’s rare to see a wide-release studio film that’s written, directed, and headlined by women in roles that break out of the typical box. It’s not another rom-com with the ditzy or awkward girl who lands the guy in the final ten minutes. This movie flips the formula.

Jennifer’s Body tells the story of Jennifer Check, a high school cheerleader who becomes possessed by a demon after a satanic ritual gone wrong. Once she’s turned, Jennifer starts feeding on her male classmates to sustain her supernatural hunger. Her best friend, Needy, slowly realizes what’s going on and becomes the one person who can stop her. It’s part horror, part dark comedy, and full of biting commentary on toxic friendships, exploitation, and girlhood rage.

The film cleverly plays with genre, putting women at the center of the story, not just as victims or love interests, but as drivers of the action. Megan Fox gets to be terrifying, funny, and weirdly sympathetic all at once, and Amanda Seyfried gives the whole thing emotional weight.

So if this slower opening weekend discourages studios from backing films like this, that’s a real loss. These women came in swinging with something original and bold. I hope they keep making movies that show women in different lights, in different roles, with different voices.