Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) Movie Review
Bodies Bodies Bodies is many things but boring is not one of them. Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) and her new girlfriend Bee (Maria Bakalova) arrive late to a hurricane party at their friend’s mansion. It’s David’s (Pete Davidson) parents’ house and the gaggle of friends consists of his girlfriend Emma (Chase Sui Wonders), party girl Alice (Rachel Sennott), and her new fling Greg (Lee Pace) who is significantly older than the others. The group is rounded out by Jordan (Myha’la Herrold) who has a chip on her shoulder and an absent friend Max (Conner O’Malley) whose name we repeatedly hear without him being present.
Sophie has been estranged from the group because she went to rehab and is trying to stay sober. The friend group is hard to like. They are spoiled, insecure, rich, and entitled. It’s important to point out again that they are having a hurricane party. That should be a good indicator of what type of people they are. After drinking and doing some drugs, they decide to play a game called Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. The premise of the game is simple. The lights are turned off and there is a “killer.” If you get “killed” you lie on the floor and wait for someone to discover you. Once they do, the survivors discuss who they think the killer is.
When someone is found actually dead outside in the midst of the game, the group is thrown into chaos. The friends don’t trust each other and accusations fly as they try to piece together what happened. More deaths and even more confusion occurs as the friend group deteriorates and begins to eat each other alive. It’s a fun twist on the horror genre and the mystery is intriguing. The ending is not as satisfying but the journey to get there is definitely entertaining.
The performances work well with Davidson coming in strong with funny one liners and his trademark playful delivery. Stenberg and Bakalova have good chemistry with each other and provide a strong foundation for the storyline. But Sennott steals the show because Alice is absolutely ridiculous. She is over the top and dramatic and perfectly encapsulates a young adult trying to figure things out. Most of the funniest scenes involve her and one of the best scenes is (spoiler ahead) when she’s shot in the leg. Her reaction is perfectly vapid and absurd. Oh, and did I mention she hosts a podcast? How incredibly perfect. The acting really sells the story especially because most of the characters don’t have any redeeming qualities. They are self-involved and more concerned with appearances than anything real.
Director Halina Reijn keeps the pace zipping along nicely and uses the massive house to her advantage with several hide and seek moments in the dark. The intensity is interspersed with moments of fun dialogue and friendship woes that keep the movie interesting. Reijn succeeds in creating a very entertaining Gen Z who-dun-it movie.
You’ll like this movie:
1. You like who-dun-its
2. You like Gen Z
3. You like ensemble movies with unlikable characters
