BODIES BODIES BODIES REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Wheh people think of murder mysteries, they probably think of the classic novels by Agatha Christie, including Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, which are both serious dramas filled with clever twists. Bodies Bodies Bodies is a unique take on the murder mystery genre as, instead of an exotic location and possible suspects, it focuses on a small group of young adults at a house party which is being thrown by David (Pete Davidson) who is dating Emma (Chase Sui Wonders). The other guests include Sophie (Amandla Stenberg), her new girlfriend, Bee (Maria Bakalova), Alice (Rachel Sennott), her older boyfriend, Greg (Lee Pace) and Jordan (Myha’la Herrold). During the party, the friends decided to play Bodies Bodies Bodies, a murder in the dark-style game. However, the game becomes real when a dead body is found. A storm knocks out the power, leaving the mansion in darkness, and, unfortunately for the young characters, no Internet connection, the only light coming from the flash on their phones and glow in the dark wristbands. As the friends try to find the killer, revelations are made with the body count increasing. 

Bodies Bodies Bodies was first released in the United States earlier this month and it was successful with critics who praised the humour, satire and performances by its cast. Its release in the United Kingdom is scheduled for next month, however, I watched it at an early preview screening and, despite the high expectations I had from the impressive critical response, I had a lot of fun watching Bodies Bodies Bodies. It effectively balances tongue in cheek comedy with a suspenseful murder mystery thriller, resulting in a wildly entertaining film. 

Bodies Bodies Bodies will, most likely, be enjoyed more by those who are of a similar age to the main characters as they’ll find them relatable and understand their dialogue. However, older, mature viewers will probably find them annoying and struggle to enjoy the film as a result. Bodies Bodies Bodies is directed by Halina Reijn and written by Sarah DeLappe, based on a story by Kristen Roupenian. Reijn impresses with her directing skills and gets the balance between laugh out loud comedy and suspense right as the film is never too funny that it strays into parody and rarely scary that it becomes difficult to watch. DeLappe’s script capture a realistic friendship between a group of young adults, with truths being revealed, resulting in the friends becoming enemies. This both adds to the comedy and the suspense, which builds over the film’s brisk 95 minute runtime. 

Bodies Bodies Bodies features fun performances by its cast. A decade ago, Stenberg left an lasting impression as Rue in the action packed blockbuster, The Hunger Games. Since then, she has continued to deliver strong performances, especially in the underrated drama, The Hate U Give, which was released in 2018. In Bodies Bodies Bodies, Stenberg continues to establish herself as a talented young actor with her performance as Sophie who is in a romantic relationship with Bee. However, while Sophie may seem sweet at first, a darker side to her personality is revealed during the film’s intense climax. In the Borat sequel, Subsequent Moviefilm, which was filmed and released during the pandemic in 2020, Bakalova stood out with her unforgettable performance as Borat’s daughter, Tutar. Although her role as Bee isn’t as funny as her role in the Borat sequel, she still delivers a strong performance as Bee, who is the outsider of the group and struggles to connect with Sophie’s friends. Sennott recently gained recognition for her central performance in the Jewish based comedy, Shiva Baby, which was released in 2020. With her role as the anxious Alice, Sennott is a scene stealer. Although both Davidson and Pace are good as the only two men, David and Greg, they lack screen time to leave much of an impression.

While the cast all deliver solid performances, an issue with their characters in Bodies Bodies Bodies is that they’re underwritten and are one dimensional. This is mainly because of the film’s ninety minute runtime which mainly focuses on the story, rather than detailing the characters’ backstories. The relationship between the friends is revealed between random lines of dialogue. Although frequent flashbacks detailing the friendship would have been too distracting, some viewers may be confused at who’s in a relationship with who. The characters’ loud and over the top personalities may result in some viewers wishing they hadn’t bothered. For others though, the lack of character development probably won’t be an issue, especially those of a similar age to the characters.

Those looking for an unpredictable murder mystery that keeps its viewers guessing the killer’s identity may be disappointed by Bodies Bodies Bodies. This is because it’s almost always obvious who the killer is and, as a result, the story is predictable and lacking in plot twists. This is only a minor flaw though as it didn’t prevent me from enjoying Bodies Bodies Bodies, however, I can imagine there will be those expecting more. 

Bodies Bodies Bodies effectively balances tongue in cheek comedy with a suspenseful murder mystery thriller, resulting in a wildly entertaining film.

7/10