Into each generation, a teen slasher that subverts and invents conventions is born. The seventies had Halloween, the eighties, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and the nineties, Scream, now comes Bodies, Bodies, Bodies.
A group of narcissist frenemies consisting of influencers, podcasters, and playboys decide to throw a party during a hurricane. The idea is obviously idotic, but plays into the self-obsession of the characters perfectly. Bee (Maria Bakalova) is an outsider amongst the group, brought in by her girlfriend Sophie (Amandla Stenberg). She’s unlike the others; her differences are perceived as weaknesses by Sophie’s friends. Their judgement is oppressive, and as Bee tries to gain their approval through matching their drinking and recreational drug use, the environment in the house becomes dangerously toxic. As the storm rages on outside the partygoers decide to play a game of ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ (a riff off of the classic children’s game, Murder in the Dark). When a real dead body is discovered, the friends turn on one another as they all seek to answer the question: who is the killer, and have they finished their work?
Right from the start, with the idea of having a party in a remote locale during a hurricane, the premise of Bodies Bodies Bodies rests on half-witted decisions. With the exception of Bee, none of the characters are aware of the perils that await them. They all reek of the arrogance of youth and – thanks to their respective parents’ wealth – privilege. With a cast of characters so shallow and self-absorbed, it’s hard to find anyone to root for, and that’s the point. Rather than connect to this raft of misfits, the audience is encouraged to see them for their vanity and self-entitlement. Director Halina Reijn is casting these egocentric types into the spotlight and allowing the viewer to experience them at their most vapid. Reijn does enough to prevent a wall forming between the audience and the characters, but maintains enough distance that one can enjoy watching them all lose their heads.
Bodies Bodies Bodies screams youth and vibrancy in every frame. It’s as if the worlds of Gossip GIrl and Skins collided, thus creating an extravagant bonanza of chaos. The cast all turn in fantastic performances, each of them being responsible for skewering a different type of mean girl, social media persona. Each of the female characters nails a different personality, from vain to needy, to cold-hearted ice-queen. The work is impressive and points to long careers for all. Whilst these young women are allowed to be feisty and fun, the male portion of the cast – Lee Pace and Pete Davidson – provide the laughs. Pace is excellent as the older beau of one of the group. He’s an outsider like Bee, but one who is more easily accepted into the fold due to his elder status and partying prowess. However, it’s Davidson that steals every scene he’s present for. Playing what appears to be a heightened version of his own public image, Davidson’s David is the perfect send-up, one that ensures giggles and guffaws.
Forever shifting between humour and horror, Reijn masterfully balances the juxtaposing tones, infusing the spookier moments with a wickedly fun atmosphere. Some of this comes via the great comedic work amongst the cast, the rest from the use of red herrings in the plot. As the game requires darkness and there being a storm outside, big chunks of Bodies Bodies Bodies play out in bear darkness. Reijn uses these moments to accentuate the horror aspects, building a foreboding setting in which the mayhem can unfold. Not wanting to create a film that makes it nigh impossible to figure out what’s going on, Reijn has inventive ways of illuminating the house. The best is the use of glow sticks, a circle of which lay around the neck of one of the girls. It’s a simple manoeuvre, but one that not only casts light around, but also ties into the exuberance of youth that the film is exploring.
A potentially accurate portrayal of what might happen were you to cut a group of teens off from their electronic devices, Bodies Bodies Bodies is an excellent blend of who-dunnit, comedy, and slasher. It analyses the toxicity of modern friendships, highlighting just how easily those that know us can hurt us the most. Essentially Lord of the Flies and Mean Girls meets Agatha Christie, Bodies Bodies Bodies has all the ingredients for an epic teen slasher. This is a film that will become a staple on sleepover rotations. Bodies Bodies Bodies will, in years to come, be spoken of in the same breath of Scream, The Craft etc. A near-perfect product of our social media obsessed society, Bodies Bodies Bodies marks the birth of a future classic.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Summary
All drugs and no cell-service make these party-revellers very dangerous indeed in this wickedly funny and devilishly frightening tale of toxic friendships.
Bodies Bodies Bodies is released in UK cinemas on Friday 9th September.
