Jack & Diane is a 2012 horror romance film written and directed by Bradley Rust Gray.
Diane (Juno Temple) is an English girl living in the U.S. with twin sister Karen and their aunt. Having chronic nosebleeds, she runs into a girl named Jack (Riley Keough) who helps her, after which the pair fall for each other. However, it turns out Diane's hiding a secret that no one could ever have guessed...
Examples:
- Ambiguously Absent Parent: Only Jack and Diane's mothers appear or are mentioned. This doesn't mean either one's dad is gone, but it's rather conspicuous.
- Animalistic Abomination: The werewolf, which can only be said to somewhat resemble a wolf. It's a very grotesque, vaguely lupine monster.
- Always Identical Twins: Diane and Karen, her twin, are completely identical. They even sound alike, so Jack mistook Karen as Diane on the phone. Both dress very differently though, and have different hair color.
- Bittersweet Ending: Jack and Diane part ways, with Diane's affliction left unresolved. Plus it seems Jack is now infected. However, Jack gives Diane a cherished possession, showing that she truly loves her.
- Butch Lesbian: A mild example. Jack, a lesbian, has short hair and wears boyish clothes at all times (except while swimming). Otherwise though she has none of the stereotypical traits.
- Driven to Suicide: Jack's brother shot himself in the past due to his girlfriend leaving him. She's still traumatized by it and mourns him, with a tragic keepsake of his (a tape that he gave to his girlfriend) in her possession.
- Genre Mashup: It's probably best described as a lesbian romantic drama/horror movie.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Diane is a very femme lesbian, with long hair, feminine clothing and a girlish voice.
- Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple: Jack, who's a mildly butch lesbian, is drawn to girly Diane. They fall for each other and date, although it's a very bumpy ride.
- Meet Cute: Diane bumps into Jack while trying to awkwardly borrow a cell phone, and then her nose starts bleeding. Jack is smitten at once.
- Monochrome Casting: All of the characters are White. This is rather unrealistic, as it's set in a big American city.
- Multi-Character Title: The title is the names of the main characters in the film.
- No Periods, Period: Averted, as the film shows that every time Diane gets her period the monster will come.
- Our Werewolves Are Different: Diane's condition is apparently meant to be lycanthropy, though it's far from clear in the film itself. Mostly she dreams of turning into a monster that bears only the merest resemblance to a wolf or any similar creature, it's not affected by moon cycles specifically (but apparently it coincides with Diane menstruating) and never even clear if she's transformed.
- Out of Focus: Diane's sister and aunt only appear in a couple scenes, while neither gets developed. Jack's friends are more characterized than either of them.
- Protagonist Title: It's named after the protagonists.
- Queer Romance: Diane and Jack's romance is the main through line in the film. They meet just after the beginning, and it develops across the film until they break up at the end.
- Rape as Backstory: It turns out Diane's sister Karen was sexually abused by some boys who had drugged her at a party.
- Shout-Out: The title is from a song by John Mellencamp, although with the twist that here it's about two girls.
- Speculative Fiction LGBT: The film is about two lesbian girls in love dealing with the fact that one is a werewolf.
- Tomboyish Name: Butch lesbian Jack has one. If it's a nickname, the film never says so.
- You're Not My Father: When Diane's aunt attempts to make her do something, she retorts that she's not her mother.
