"Bodies Bodies Bodies" review — Gen Z satire is witty and biting

“Who wants to play Bodies Bodies Bodies?”

When films strive to appeal to a younger generation by using heavy doses of slang and pop culture, they often run the risk of being excessively corny and on-the-nose. Films that try to be contemporary feel awkwardly out of date by the time they actually hit screens. This problem is even further accentuated by the internet where the way in which young people speak seems to change more rapidly than ever before. From the trailer, it seemed as him Halina Reijn’s new horror comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies might be another victim of this phenomenon. With words like “gaslight” and “toxic” thrown haphazardly around the dialogue and with the tagline “this is not a safe space,” the marketing reinforced that the film was another generational comedy written by someone too old and out of touch to make it effective. The most exciting thing about Bodies Bodies Bodies, however, is that it manages to cleverly dodge what could feel like an AI’s approximation of Gen Z slang. The result is a film that feels fresh and contemporary without feeling awkward. It stays cool enough to be relevant but biting enough to not take its status too seriously.

Sophie (played by Amandla Stenberg) and Bee (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm breakout star Maria Bakalova) have been going out for about six weeks now. On the eve of a massive storm, they drive up to a secluded mansion, owned by the family of Sophie’s friend David (Pete Davidson), where a group of twenty-somethings have gathered for a “hurricane party.” Equipped with booze and drugs, they settle in for a stormy summer night of partying. But when the power goes out and a game of the Among Us-like “Bodies Bodies Bodies” goes wrong, the real bodies begin to drop. In a tight 90 minutes, the film spirals into chaos as the group fights to keep themselves both sane and alive. Bodies Bodies Bodies is an extremely fun slasher with a macabre sense of humour and biting satire of friendships and relationships in the digital age.

Pete Davidson in Bodies Bodies Bodies. Photo: Sony/A24.

The ensemble cast carries the energy of the film effortlessly, particularly the five young women at the centre of the film’s drama. Amandla Stenberg delivers an excellent leading performance as Sophie backed by Maria Balalova’s reserved Bee. Myha’la Herrold is fantastic as the foolishly self-assured Jordan and Chase Sui Wonders is great as the not-so-great actress Emma. Shiva Baby (2020) breakout star Rachel Sennott is fantastic as the glowstick-lit, high-strung Alice. Lee Pace co-stars as Greg, Alice’s twice-her-age boyfriend, and he plays the role to a hilariously uncomfortable degree. Last but not least is SNL alum, internet heartthrob, and Kanye West’s archnemesis, Pete Davidson as David, a role to which Davidson brings his usual stoned-in-a-garbage-can comedic chops.

Sara DeLappe’s screenplay, based on an original spec script by Kristen Roupenian, is crackling with energy. The film’s story cleverly subverts the expectations of the genre providing a narrative that feels totally new. I find myself agreeing with critic Owen Gleiberman of Variety who called the film “And Then There Were None staged by John Cassavetes for the age of Instagram” and critic Marya E. Gates of The Playlist who compares it favourably to Jennifer’s Body (2009) and Scream (1996) — films that are renown for their ingenuity and distinctly contemporary appeal. However, the film is, unfortunately, light on actual scares. Instead, it strives for something that’s incredibly entertaining but also packs a punch. The film gambles away its potentially frightening moments for jokes, comedy, and a final twist bound to be both praised and criticized.

Amandla Stenberg and Maria Bakalova in Bodies Bodies Bodies. Photo: Sony/A24.

It would be easy to turn DeLappe’s screenplay into something trite and frustratingly annoying. But director Halina Reijn’s artistic sensibilities give the film an all-encompassing style and tone that makes its generational comedy stick. Bodies Bodies Bodies is defined by a decidedly grimey aesthetic. The tensions always run high between the film’s rich, trashbag characters. The often practical lighting is creatively used as well. Much of the film’s night-set scenes are lit by headlamps and iPhone flashlights but their placement is never haphazard. Scenes are still visible without ever forgetting the darkness of the location. It makes the film feel intimate, immediate, and quite tense at times without it being a gimmick. The film is shot on gritty, grainy film stock which gives the images a rough, imperfect visual style.

This is perhaps what makes its cultural references and use of slang land so well — the film is not some half-assed attempt to poke fun at a younger generation but takes pride in being a product of its time. It is just as much critical of culture in the internet era as it does revel in it. The film doubles down on a look inspired very much by HBO’s smash-hit series Euphoria with its gritty grain and drugged-out moments. The film’s soundtrack is accented with the heavy 808s, trap snares and hi-hats, and abrasive instrumentation of maximalist hyperpop (it comes as no surprise that Charlie XCX’s “Hot Girl” was written as an original song for the film). Bodies Bodies Bodies makes no apologies for being a film of its era without ever letting its era limit itself. It’s a wildly entertaining film with such excellent sensibilities. While it doesn’t conclude its themes as well as it could, it makes for a great night out at the movies.

Bodies Bodies Bodies is now playing in theatres.

Bodies Bodies Bodies information
Directed by Halina Reijn
Written by Sarah DeLappe
Starring Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, with Lee Pace, and Pete Davidson
Released August 12, 2022
95 minutes