Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

[Eric Prime]

Discuss Discuss Discuss

[filmlover]

This almost plays as a mixture between Knives Out and Sam Levinson (though thankfully it's nowhere nearly as hacky or insufferable as any of Levinson's productions), but this becomes a fun twist on the murder mystery mixed with some insightful commentary about the hollow nature of friendships in the social media era. The always capable talents of Amandla Stenberg and Maria Bakalova lead a solid little ensemble (yes, even Pete Davidson is good here), with Rachel Sennott being the MVP in an energetic and hilarious breakout performance. It's not scary whatsoever and the ending will probably divide people (given the tone of the rest of the movie, I thought it was a most fitting conclusion), but it's a wild and certainly enjoyable ride. B

[Webslinger]

Bodies, Bodies, Bodies is a savage satire that successfully lays waste to the entitlement, self-absorption, and obliviousness of its young, wealthy characters. Director Halina Reijn strikes a solid balance between the tension that springs from the film’s subject matter and isolated setting and the acidic, no-holds-barred nature of the script’s laugh-out-loud dark comedy. From the very first scenes at the house, it is all too clear that the ribbing between the characters is not as good-natured as they clearly want it to appear, which successfully sets up the snideness and in-fighting that reaches a fever pitch once the main murder mystery plot kicks into gear. However, even after the mystery emerges, the film is more concerned with how this event gives the characters an excuse to unleash all their pent-up rage and resentment on one another, making for a fascinating and diabolically funny study on the psyches of these privileged characters and how they overstate harm while appropriating and weaponizing terminology and experiences that do not truly align with the reality of their situations. The humor is razor-sharp, but what ultimately makes the satire work as well as it does is the fact that each actor approaches their character with the absolute conviction that they are the one in the right, no matter what their attitudes or actions might suggest. The small cast clicks with one another in such a convincing fashion that their relationships are easy to buy, and the standouts are Maria Bakalova as the outsider and audience surrogate whose bewilderment with each crazy new development helps to ground the film, and Rachel Sennott in a scene-stealing role that – at least for me – netted the most laughs of any of the stars. The tone and humor that Reijn employs in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies are so dark and cutting that the film is bound to turn off viewers who either don’t gel with its worldview or go in expecting something more conventional (or perhaps more sympathetic to the characters), but for viewers seeking a funny, merciless skewering of performative behavior and self-centered insincerity, it’s a really good time.

 

B+