“You’re such a dick.” This oft-repeated line from “Bodies Bodies Bodies” could describe almost every character in Halina Reijn’s terrific new horror-comedy. Set in a remote mansion during a coke-fueled hurricane party gone awry, the film follows a group of wealthy friends with lots of baggage over one fateful, deadly night. Economically shot and brilliantly cast, the film is a scathing critique of feigned friendships and the vapid excess of bored rich kids.
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Fresh to the scene is the working-class Bee (the Oscar-nominated Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”), who has only been dating her newly sober girlfriend Sophie (Amandla Stenberg, “Dear Evan Hansen”) for six weeks. Arriving at the isolated mansion of Sophie’s super-rich childhood best friend David (Pete Davidson) for a “hurricane party,” it’s clear that Bee is out of her element. These are ultra-rich kids, who are “not as nihilistic” as they seem online, are a great contrast to the wholesome Bee, who brings zucchini bread as a host gift and downs an entire slice of chocolate cake before realizing it’s laced with weed.
Tensions are high amongst the party-goers because Sophie has been M.I.A. from the group chat following a stint in rehab. Something is especially off with Jordan (Myha’la Herrold, “Modern Love”), who goes out of her way to warn Bee to “be careful” around Sophie. The night turns ugly when the group decides to play the titular game bodies bodies bodies — a twist on the classic party game werewolf. The rules are simple: everyone skulks around in the dark until the anonymous “murderer” kills someone, and then everyone debates who they think did it. David clashes with both his girlfriend Emma (Chase Sui Wonders), accusing her of not having a single original thought in her head, and the much older and incredibly dashing Greg (Lee Pace), who was invited by the vacuous Alice (“Shiva Baby” breakout Rachel Sennott). More a game of psychology than anything else, friendships fizzle, and fissures break as they try to suss out who the “murderer” is. After the game ends in a blowup from David, things escalate when someone ends up dead for real, and the group begins to suspect each other.
Similar in conceit and execution to the ’80s horror-comedy “April Fool’s Day,” writers Sarah DeLappe and Kristen Roupenian (“Cat Person”) eviscerate fake friendships held together by what Alice describes as “the suffocating weight of our shared history.” Each character holds so deeply to various petty grudges that in a span of a few hours, all allegiances devolve into “Lord of the Flies” style chaos. This is purely rich, decadent person nonsense, but much of the film’s perverse pleasure and dark humor comes from seeing the rich metaphorically eat each other alive.
Filmed solely in one location, the sprawling mansion becomes a world in and of itself. From its luscious outdoor pool to the palm tree-filled sunroom to a massive indoor basketball court, Reijn uses the limited space with surgical precision, with the space feeling simultaneously humongous and incredibly small. Cinematographer Jasper Wolf (“Monos”) moves fluidly through each room, following the characters closely, putting the audience directly into their point of view as their sanity slowly falls apart. Much of the film is lit using available light from cell phones, adding an eerie, almost haunted-house vibe to the whole affair.
Often shot in long takes, it’s easy to see Reijn’s theatrical background seep into her filmmaking, although some scenes could use a little trim. However, the ensemble cast shines, having clearly been given free rein to build out their characters and the complex relationship pulsing throughout the group. SNL fan favorite Pete Davidson plays up his fuckboy star persona declaring his whole vibe is looking like someone “who fucks.” While Maria Bakalova shows a real strength for drama, her expressive eyes always fully taking in the chaos around her.
The real highlight in the cast is Rachel Sennott, whose expert comic timing is on full display. In a script filled with scathing critiques of certain shallow aspects of Gen Z culture, Sennott excels due to her ability to sell a joke, a facial reaction, or even a line that probably wasn’t nearly as funny on the page. Her buoyant energy courses throughout the film, lighting up the screen equally as bright as the glow sticks that perpetually adorn her neck.
As far as Covid-era cinema goes, it’s surprising it took this long for a film to use Tyga x Curtis Roach’s TikTok anthem “Bored In The House” as brilliantly as Reijn and crew do throughout the film. To really speak of what makes its use so wonderful would spoil a true highlight of the film. Still, I do think its seamless integration into the plot essentially seals both the song and its TikTok legacy in cinematic amber, allowing it to be newly discovered for many years to come.
By combining petty drama, deadpan humor, and the terror of human emotions, the filmmakers effortlessly straddle a liminal space between comedy and horror, never quite tipping their hand too far into either genre. Featuring a solid ensemble of promising young talent, “Bodies Bodies Bodies” is a true crowd-pleaser destined to takes its place on the mantle with seminal horror-comedy faves like “Jennifer’s Body” and “Scream.” [A-]
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