BODIES BODIES BODIES is a reinvention of the murder mystery genre with a twist. I can’t disclose what that twist is as it would ruin the whole film for everyone. The film on the surface seems like a Gen-Z Horror flick, but underneath it’s a biting political satire with one of the best and tightest scripts of recent years. Before I get into the intricacies of the film, i’ll just give my quick thoughts on the film.
Bodies Bodies Bodies is quite a surprise and the trailers didn’t do the film justice. The film is much smarter and funnier than it’s given credit for with the marketing. The film itself seems like a simple Gen-Z Horror venture on the surface, but there’s so much more underneath it. Those elements are achieved by the fantastic writing and directing from Sarah DeLappe and Halina Reijn respectively. The tight narrative and quick runtime helps the film progress from scene to scene without really any drag. The cast are also a high point of the film with Rachel Sennott and Maria Bakalova being standouts. Those two are not the only good acting pieces as the whole cast adds to the intricate puzzle but they stood out to me the most. The score from Disasterpeace is top notch, but it’s Disasterpeace so I didn’t expect anything other. The man did “It Follows” and “Under The Silver Lake”, he knows his stuff. The film having a quick pace helps also as it throws you right into the action straight away. The first act introduces the characters and background, the second act is when the craziness occurs and the third act wraps up the story super nicely. The film has a nice structure that helps it constantly. Overall, If you are a fan of murder mysteries or A24, go see this one. You will most likely enjoy this film. There’s only one thing that I see really turning people off and that’s the twist.
THE RATING:
*WARNING: SPOILER SECTION*
If you haven’t seen the film yet, turn away. If you’ve already seen the film you’re fine. Unless you don’t care about spoilers, then I have a bigger question for you other than if you’ve seen the film.
*WARNING: SPOILER SECTION*
The twist of this film is gonna be the thing that probably will determine if you enjoy the film or not. Some will see it as a super smart reveal and some will see it as a ridiculous answer that ultimately makes the film a waste of time. The twist of the film is that Pete Davidson’s character, the first person to get “murdered”, wasn’t actually murdered. Instead, in a fit of masculine rage and jealousy, he went out to shoot a Tik Tok with a machete to prove that he’s the best man and slices his neck by accident. This reveal recontextualizes the whole film and confirms to the audience that there was no killer and everyone died by accident. Many would see this ending as a waste of the audiences time, but I feel quite the opposite. The ending elevates the film into another stratosphere of storytelling. On one hand, the ending is a very “What The Fuck” ending that will go down in history with the likes of “Split” and “SAW”. If anyone told me that they guessed the twist, I would probably think they’re full of shit. On a much deeper note, the ending strengthens the subtext and the message of the film.
The twist solidifies what the film is truly trying to comment on, Gen-Z and their compulsion to attack others and make quick assumptions. The group’s first thought is that someone murdered Pete Davidson and the idea never crosses any of their minds (and even mine while I was watching the film for that matter) that it could have been an accident. Gen-Z is notorious for being quick to judge and assume along with ready to vilify anything or anyone at any second. Throughout the film, the group so easily points fingers at each other to the point that it causes some extreme mental strain on their relationship as a group. With the rise of social media it seems like there’s also been a rise in the concept of assuming the worst in someone. Every character is so quick to assume the worst in each other before they get every piece of information. Any time that a negative attribute is brought up about any of the characters, the group shifts their blame to that person. They are so quick to choose a villain of their situation that they don’t stop and think about what they are truly doing.
Thinking about the film after the viewing, the ending was clear as day. The film couldn’t have ended any other way or the film would’ve ended up being just another teen/young adult slasher film. None of the motives were rock solid and everything that was being used as evidence of a motive were all assumptions on the groups part. The way the film is structured and played out, there’s no way that any other ending would have made any sense. They could have chosen one of the group members, but it would have sacrificed the subtext present in the film. If they would have decided to make one of the members the killer with a weak or low tier decent motive, what would have differentiated this film from other ones of recent, specifically this year’s Scream reboot. Through the decision to include no killer and have all the deaths be accidental might seem gimmicky, they elevated the material and were able to tell a story so rich with subtext that it turned this film into a standout. I know that many would see the ending as a “joke ending”, but if you look deeper, the ending of the film is probably one of the greatest the genre has given us for a while. With the inclusion of the “No Killer” ending, they were able to showcase some behaviours present in Gen-Z individuals that is counterproductive to growth and success. Everyone in this film is ready to judge and point the blame at each other but they never take a minute and wonder if the possibility of no killer was a concrete one.
The film sacrifices the traditional slasher formula to deliver a sharp and comedic commentary on how my generation is quick to judge and make assumptions. The film brilliantly paints the problem of this generation’s need to be right and attack others with a slasher background. Despite the marketing being intentionally misleading, the film delivers in every way I expected plus more. This is probably my favourite murder mystery whodunnit since “Clue”. I would also venture and say that the film is probably my favourite slasher since “Scream”. This film is just so damn intelligent and comedic.
BODIES BODIES BODIES is a strong commentary on problems in Gen-Z culture. A film that showcases Gen-Z and the problem of Toxic Assumptions present in the demographic.
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