PLOT: A group of wealthy twenty-somethings take shelter during a hurricane at a palatial mansion owned by a friend’s parents. When one of them is brutally killed, they turn on each other, convinced one of their gang is a cold-blooded murderer.
REVIEW: Bodies Bodies Bodies is going to divide horror fans. If you expect a slasher, you’re bound to walk away disappointed. While there is some good gore and gnarly kills, if anything, this plays like a murder mystery with a savage satirical edge. Director Halina Reijn, working from a screenplay by Sarah DeLappe, eviscerates a particular kind of “woke,” upper-class twenty-something. The kind who posts buzzwords like “gaslighting” on Twitter but ultimately are so caught up in their narcissism they can’t fathom that maybe they’re not the most important person in the world. It’s an edgy, often hilarious film that – to use another buzzword – will “trigger” the people it savagely sends up.
That said – don’t expect to be scared at any point during the ninety-five-minute running time. It’s clever, funny, well-acted and beautifully made – but it’s not scary. At all.
If you can get past that, Bodies Bodies Bodies is a terrific film. The ensemble is fantastic, being led by Borat 2‘s Maria Bakalova in her most fleshed-out role to date. She plays Bee, a young woman dragged along to this mansion by her girlfriend, Amandla Stenberg’s Sophie, who wants to reconnect with her circle of wealthy twenty-somethings. There’s Myha’la Herrold as Jordan, a provocateur with a romantic history with Sophie, Chase Sui Wonders’ wanna-be actress Emma, and Pete Davidson as David, the jerk whose rich daddy is putting them all up for the weekend. Best of all is Shiva Baby‘s Rachel Sennott in a hilarious performance as the “wokest” and possibly most naive of the group, Alice, who’s easily identified by her ever-present glow-stick necklace, which helps give the film its signature neon look once the hurricane topples the power. She shows up with a much older, vacuous boyfriend in tow, memorably played by Lee Pace.
Eventually, the group settles into a coke-fueled game of Bodies Bodies Bodies, a murder-mystery version of Werewolf that they like to play. When one of them dies for real, the group starts to turn on themselves, a situation not helped by all the cocaine, booze and Xanax lying around. Bakalova’s character emerges as the protagonist, being the outsider to this group, but what Bodies Bodies Bodies does so well is that you’re never really sure what’s going on. Nobody seems to be in control, with even Bakalova having a wildly over-the-top reaction to a red herring that puts her on the suspect list – even if she’s our heroine.
Reijn does a great job with the pacing, running a tight ninety minutes and never lagging. While she’s certainly more interested in the satirical aspect than the horror aspect, there’s still a generous amount of gore. The “old dark house” setting is well conveyed, with this sprawling mansion turned into a cavernous labyrinth because the raging hurricane has knocked the power out. The cinematography is superb, with Jasper Wolf using the glow sticks the girls are obsessed with to provide much of the lighting, an effect that is both comical and stylish. The score by It Follows‘ composer Disasterpeace is already drawing early raves, and adds tremendously to the movie’s vibe.
Again though, horror fans need to go into Bodies Bodies Bodies with their expectations in check. A24 is not a studio that does conventional horror, and this is no exception. But, if you can go in with an open mind, you’ll no doubt have a blast, especially if you’re someone that gets exasperated by tone-deaf “think pieces” podcasts and Twitter. It’s not a great horror movie, but as a satire, it’s cutting edge.