A24 came out with another instant horror classic. Bodies Bodies Bodies put the viewer in the shoes of seven twenty-year-olds. The cast consisted of Amanala Stenberg as Sophie, Maria Bakalova as Bee, Myha’la Herrold as Jordan, Chase Wonders as Emma, Rachel Sennott as Alice and Pete Davidson as David.
Although it was her directorial debut, the director Halina Reijn did a great job. Reijin understood the actors and characters in this film so well. She connected the story by keeping the viewer interested in what each character had to say or contribute to the story. The way she directed the cast to run off of each other had a seamlessly smooth result. Maria Bakalova stole the show. You might recognize her from her role in Borat Subsequent Movie-Film. The cast did an amazing job in their roles, but Bakalova’s character was so interesting that it keeps audiences wanting more. The story developed very well around her. Her character, named Bee, is from Eastern Europe and being that Halina Reijin is from Eastern Europe is what formed the connections between the director and actor in this film.
Bodies Bodies Bodies opened with Sophie and Alice going to David’s house during a hurricane to throw a “hurricane party.” When they arrived, we are introduced to the characters. Every character is developed enough to make the audience care about them. Horror and thriller films don’t normally specialize in character development, but that’s where Bodies Bodies Bodies was different, being a horror film based on a unique social environment. It used that to its advantage and made all the characters develop through heavy dialogue.
The plot was that the characters play a game called Bodies Bodies Bodies. In this game, one person plays a killer and the rest of the group are victims. The killer is unknown to the rest of the group, and everyone turns off the lights, runs and hides. When the group finds a body, they yell “Bodies, bodies, bodies!” When the group finds one of the first victims, they discover that it’s not just a game… or is it?
Bodies Bodies Bodies gets an eight out of ten for nearly perfect execution, fun cast and a rich script. This movie was a very unexpected gem, full of satire and not afraid to make fun of itself. It took stereotypes of Gen Z and making a horror movie with the type of humor it has made it very self-aware.
Casey Black
Contributor
