Luca Guadagnino is no stranger to the Lido, having world premieres for four of his films at the Venice Film Festival over the years, including his last film, 2018’s “Suspiria” remake. So, it’s no surprise that Guadagnino returns to the 79th edition of the festival with his latest film, “Bones And All.” The film is part of the 2022 program announced earlier today, in competition for Venice’s coveted top prize, the Golden Lion.
But “Bones And All” may be Guadagnino’s most divisive film to date, given its premise. Like “Call Me By Your Name,” it’s a story of first love, only this time, the lovers are cannibals, on the run from a society that cannot accept or understand them.
Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
Bones And All is a story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised drifter; a liberating road odyssey of two young people coming into their own, searching for identity and chasing beauty in a perilous world that cannot abide who they are.
Guadagnino adapts Camille DeAngelis‘s 2016 novel of the same name with David Kajganich. The pair also worked together on “Suspiria” and 2015’s “A Bigger Splash.” Talking about why he wanted to adapt DeAngelis’s novel, Guadagnino said, “There is something about the disenfranchised, about people living on the margins of society that I am drawn toward and touched by. I love these characters. The heart of the movie is tender and affectionate towards them. I’m interested in their emotional journeys. I want to see where the possibilities lie for them, enmeshed within the impossibility they face. The movie is for me a meditation on who I am and how I can overcome what I feel, especially if it is something I cannot control in myself. And lastly, and most importantly, when will I be able to find myself in the gaze of the other?”
“Bones And All” has “Call Me By Your Name” stars Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell as Lee and Maren. The film also stars Michael Stuhlbarg, André Holland, Chloë Sevigny, and David Gordon-Green. Jessica Harper, Jake Horowitz, and Mark Ryland round out the main cast. Also of note: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score the film.
Guadagnino’s latest was the first film acquired by MGM following its finalized merger deal with Amazon earlier this year. Following its world premiere at Venice, it’s set for a November 23 theatrical release, with an exclusive Amazon Prime Video streaming release to follow.
How will “Bones And All” fare against the other films in competition at Venice this year, including Netflix heavyweights like Andrew Dominik‘s “Blonde” and Noah Baumbach‘s “White Noise“? Follow our coverage of the festival next month to find out. In the meantime, take a look at stills from the movie below.
