Bodies Bodies Bodies: Unpacked
SPOILERS AHEAD
The public has longed for an accurate depiction of Gen Z in films for years and Helena Reijn has given the people what they wanted. She directed Bodies Bodies Bodies which is a thriller/comedy film that was released at the beginning of 2022.
Bodies Bodies Bodies comes from the entertainment company A24. This entertainment company has released a cohort of fantastic films in the past few years such as Midsommar, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Iron Claw, Lady Bird, and many more. A24 is known for pushing the boundaries of filmmaking, and Bodies Bodies Bodies is no exception.
The film follows a friend group of 20 somethings who plan to have a hurricane party at one of the character’s parents’ mansion home in a secluded area. We learn throughout the film that these friendships are complex and maybe not entirely genuine. There is a building animosity between members of the group which grows the tension throughout the film.
The storm keeps them stuck inside together where they play an initially innocent game of bodies bodies bodies. This game essentially casts one friend as a ‘killer’ and the rest try to ‘stay alive’ and figure out who the killer is. While playing the game they come to find one of their friends dead. Frantic with what they have discovered, we see tensions rise and secrets being revealed. Then one by one each character is killed until there are two left. We find out that the first person dead had accidentally killed himself with a sword while trying to film a Tik Tok. The irony.
It is a fantastic satirical piece that feels applicable in our unserious youth of today. There are a couple of themes throughout the film that feel tailored towards our chronically online culture.
For example: The first death that makes the other characters spiral into paranoia was an accident that occured while the character was filming a Tik Tok. Or when one character shoots another character in the leg after they fight about a podcast about hanging out with your smartest and funniest friend.
The writers for this film Sarah DeLappe and Kristen Roupenian created such an iconic script that my friends and I quote daily. The way that the writers blend satirical and dry humor makes the dialogue feel real in a sense. They created such unlikeable characters to showcase the satire of young, narcissistic Gen Z. They use humor to touch on a variety of topics such as: How hard it is to start a podcast, body dysmorphia, social classes and the absurdity of modern dating.
Initially this film was rated very poorly by the public, receiving a 69% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. One review stated that the movie had “Zero subtlety, zero plot and an obvious ‘twist’ ending” (Rotten Tomatoes). Which I can ultimately guess was posted by someone who did not understand the level of satire this film was written for.
More recently Bodies Bodies Bodies has been added onto Netflix making the topic of it resurface on media platforms such as Tik Tok. The public has started to switch their views on this film, talking about how it encapsulates Gen Z culture perfectly and shows exactly how we would act if we were faced with that situation.
The film blends dark humor, satire, and suspense while also exploring themes morality, friendship or lack thereof, and the consequences of unchecked privilege. With a mix of quirky characters and unexpected plot twists, Bodies Bodies Bodies offers a fresh take on the classic slasher genre while delivering plenty of thrills and laughs throughout the entire film.