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.
