Bodies Bodies Bodies

When A24 released the first trailer for one of their newest films, Bodies Bodies Bodies, I wasn't sure what to make of it. It felt almost like Scream, but with a modern spin, and while I can say it's not that, this is an enjoyable film if you know what you're in for. It won't be for everyone though, as this film is loaded with subject matter that will turn certain viewers off. All I will say is that it's worth watching, even if you're not enjoying yourself and I'll explain why. You don't have to rush out and see Bodies Bodies Bodies, but here's why it's worth a watch.

During a hurricane, a group of young adults party in their friend's mansion, while doing drugs and drinking a lot of alcohol. Not in their right mind, they decide to play a game that requires the skill of trying to find the killer. Things go very wrong though when one of them actually turns up dead. Trying to figure out who the killer is, this group lets out many bottled-up emotions and continuously backstab each other. This makes for some entertaining scenes of heavy dialogue, but it also works against the film in my opinion. The banter/arguing between characters is nearly half of what this film is, but I get that it was meant to be tongue and cheek. It just didn't quite do it for me all the time. In fact, if it wasn't for the ending, I'm not even sure I'd be talking highly about this film at all.

About halfway through the film, I wasn't even sure who to root for, even though I knew which characters the film wanted me to care about the most. The mystery always kept me on the edge of my seat, having no idea who the killer was, but I also wasn't sure I even cared that much. With that said, the way this film wraps up is one of my favourite few minutes of the year. Yes, I loved the ending that much. The issue is though, I don't think the rest of the film was enjoyable enough to say that I loved it overall. I will gladly watch this film over and over again with people who haven't seen it though. This is the type of film that has a reveal that comes out of nowhere and I couldn't get enough of it.

Overall, Bodies Bodies Bodies has some fun dialogue and Halina Reijn's directing work (which I have yet to see, until now) was also very commendable. It's just a fun horror/comedy that's not supposed to be taken as anything more. If it was that from start to finish, I'd barely give this film a pass because I just mildly enjoy myself. Again though, it's all about that ending for me. When the film finished, I thought back through the film and it worked a lot better for me. Some people may not like it as much as I did, but I wanted to stand up and cheer for the writers on this one, Sarah DeLappe crafted one hell of a twist. Bodies Bodies Bodies is now playing in select theatres, and while I do recommend it, this can easily be watched at home.

I keep seeing negative reviews for this film and don't understand why? A lot of people used the word "boring" while it literally can't be used to describe it. Simple? Sure. Dumb? Yes. Boring? Hell no.

It's a typical popcorn horror to watch with friends and have fun. The "who done it" comes into full effect while everyone contributes in their own way. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously and makes fun of social tropes. If that's not your thing, I understand, but it is in no way boring.

The pace is pretty good, acting performances are solid, very intense and keeps your attention. I had a good laugh multiple times which says a lot considering I don't like horror comedies. The aspects I liked the most about this film are it's self awareness and genuinely not knowing who did it midway through. I'd recommend watching this for Halloween with a group of friends and having a blast! Not a masterpiece but a solid 7/10 from me.

Quite literally like spending the day with your significant other's insipid friends and trying to navigate the intricate and tangled web of group dynamics spun over time; an ordeal which ultimately isn't worth the effort of trying to assimilate. While the "twist" does make everything work a bit better, it still doesn't make it worth your time. Especially when it's the only possible resolution for a murder plot so confined by its setting and lack of characters. The film almost works as contemporary satire, one of a society so stimulated by buzzwords and armchair psychology that it no longer remembers what it's like to have organic or innate thoughts. It examines how constant exposure to contradicting layers of discourse only leads to further confusion and insecurity, which in turn forces individuals to cling even tighter to their own tangled logic. Manic dramatizations and over-complications of reality result in the inability to grasp even the simplest of truths. This is the film's thesis. Unfortunately, it would have carried more weight if it didn't feel as though it were contrived from the same virtual hive mind it so readily condemns.

Anyone reviewing this as vapid and shallow and claims it has a predictable ending is missing the entire point of the film.

The characters are of course absurdist representations of not only current youth but also humanity as a whole.

This is not meant to be a horror film that reinvents the wheel. It's meant to be a discussion of how we as a culture have warped our relationship with information, specifically technologically. It's meant to represent how we gather and receive unsound information, react impulsively, and create destruction while doing so, whether to ourselves or others. Understandably, the movie isn't TOO heavy handed in its approach as to not come across as preachy, but I think the message is clear and the film conveys it in a way that's fun and entertaining. I mean, come on, it's A24. If you're showing up expecting a by the books slasher, you've come to the wrong place. I think that's more of an expectation setting problem than it should be a knock at the film.

This is a fairly enjoyable and mildly funny movie with some good satirical elements. I had a good time for the most part, except when the extensive arguments started to annoy me. Solid for a one-time viewing. (1 viewing, SuperScreen 8/17/2022)