Bodies Bodies Bodies
“Bodies Bodies Bodies” takes the time-honored tradition of telling a slasher narrative with an Agatha Christie-like mystery plot, and adds a kicker of an ending that turns the whole thing into a twisted joke. That the film went there makes sense; that it re-contextualizes the narrative into a commentary on internet culture in a film where the internet is largely unavailable is what makes it entertaining.
The more I’ve interacted on social media, the more I feel like everyone is just trying to be authentic in how they present themselves. Maybe that’s just a projection on my part, because that’s how I try to be, but that feels like my best experiences, at least. That’s an admirable thing, whether you feel like you have to keep some things private or whether you feel the need to maybe “over share.” The point is, people trying to make a connection. Sure, there is plenty of toxicity online, and people who make themselves to be one thing, but are actually something else, but it’s all about connecting, for better or for worse. The screenplay by Kristen Roupenian and Sarah DeLappe is deft in how it looks at people trying to be authentic with one another, and sees how suspicion about motives, appearances and actions that can be easily misread, and the desire to be empathetic while spouting ‘net knowledge can form toxic environments, even amongst friends.
Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) and Bee (Maria Bakalova) are a couple going to Sophie’s friend David’s (Pete Davidson) house for a party during a hurricane. Sophie hasn’t seen her friends in a while since she had to go to rehab, so when her and Bee show up, David and others aren’t quite sure how to feel. As the rains start, the group begins to play a game, Bodies Bodies Bodies. It’s basically Clue and Ten Little Indians wrapped in a game of tag; the lights are turned out, and when someone comes across a body, they get everyone else to come, and try to figure out who did it. When real dead bodies start piling up, who could it be?
The characters are essentially archetypes: Sophie is the privileged girl trying to figure herself out; Bee is the mysterious interloper in a tight knit group. David is privileged, as well, and has no problem doing drugs and showing off; Emma (Chase Sui Wonders) is his longtime girlfriend, a wannabe actor. Alice (Rachel Sennott) is a podcaster, and her boyfriend Greg (Lee Pace) is someone she just met two weeks ago, but is physically right for her in the moment. Jordan (Myha’la Herrold) seems to have the most animosity towards Sophie, probably because she’s the one who had to witness the worst of her downward spiral. When you’re writing archetypes, the cast is crucial, and “Bodies Bodies Bodies” has a strong one that understands the assignment. The standout is Sennott from a personality perspective (and she has some great line deliveries), but I think Stenberg and Bakalova give the best performances. Sophie is someone marking her return to social life, and she sees Bee as someone who can stabilize her with that, and that tightrope of being confident surrounded by her friends while also being nervous is palpable. Meanwhile, Bakalova plays Bee as someone is uncomfortable with where she is in the situation, but that might be for reasons she isn’t comfortable communicating.
Director Halina Reijn keeps things interesting in how she uses light and shadows when the lights are out. Sometimes, the characters think they are seeing one thing, but who can say for sure? One thing is certain- these characters all get defensive when challenged, some to the point of anxiety attacks, some to the point of violence. By the time the night is through, one survey of the wreckage from the night before makes one realize how important it is to think before you act (or speak), especially where friends are involved.
