"Bodies Bodies Bodies" - Film Review
Bodies Bodies Bodies is the pinnacle of Gen X comedy wrapped in a whodunnit sleepover slasher. Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) and her brand new girlfriend, Bee (Maria Bakalova), are en route to a hurricane party at David’s (Pete Davidson) house. The party is a reunion of sorts for this group of childhood friends. Sophie, David, Jordan (Myha'la Herrold), Emma (Chase Sui Wonders), and Alice (Rachel Sennott) have known each other for years, while Bee and Alice’s boyfriend, Greg (Lee Pace), are newcomers to the group. At first everyone is enjoying a drug- and alcohol-fueled good time, but the bodies soon start piling up.
Anyone who’s paying the slightest bit of attention to Sennott’s career is not surprised that she’s the star of the film. The cast is a delightful ensemble, but nearly every one of Sennott’s lines elicits a laugh. Sometimes it’s a chuckle, sometimes it’s a loud, ugly guffaw, but Bodies Bodies Bodies is Sennott’s show to steal, and she does so gleefully. It’s impressive that this is only her third feature film because she has the presence of a seasoned veteran. In no way is this praise of Sennott a knock against the rest of the cast. In fact, it’s the strength of the cast that allows the film to be successful, even when the script falters.
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Single-setting premises allow horror movies to effortlessly create and maintain a sense of tension and dread. Even though Bodies Bodies Bodies skews more toward humor than bloody free-for-all, audience members are still on the edges of their seats as they wait to see which character’s untimely demise is next. Those going in expecting to see something more akin to a Halloween-style slasher will leave disappointed. Most of the kills happen offscreen, and it becomes fairly obvious early on that no masked killer is lurking in the halls of the mansion. Instead, it’s toxic friendships coming to their bloody end at the hands of so-called “besties.”
As naturally comedic as the cast is, Bodies Bodies Bodies has a distinct style of humor that will not work for everyone. The person behind me in the theatre said, “this was genetically engineered in a lab for me.” For a specific group of people, Bodies Bodies Bodies is really going to work. All the characters use internet buzzwords like triggered, gaslighting, and toxic in semi-serious ways that are meant to poke fun at how the meanings of those words have been twisted. The film is a lowkey slasher for the chronically online crowd.
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Ultimately, it’s very obvious from the onset if Bodies Bodies Bodies will incite a mid-level or rave review from you. For those who don’t fully appreciate its distinct brand of humor, there’s still enough of a twisty, turny good time to make it worthwhile, although the charm wanes fairly quickly. Those who are enamored with this distinct style of comedy are in for a bloody good time.
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