Bodies Bodies Bodies is a Perfect Gen-Z Spook

By: Mallory Johnson

I saw the A24 comedy slasher Bodies Bodies Bodies in theatres over the summer and I loved it! It follows a group of rich 20-somethings who have a party at a mansion to ride out an incoming hurricane in a fun way. They decide to play the game “bodies bodies bodies” which involves a player being a secret murderer and “killing” the other players in the pitch dark by tapping their shoulder, and then the other players trying to figure out who the killer was. The boozy night is all fun and games until real bodies start showing up. The film stars Pete Davidson (SNL, The King of Staten Island), Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games, The Hate U Give), Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, The Bubble), Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby, Call Your Mother), Chase Sui Wonders (On the Rocks, Out of the Blue), Myha’la Herrold (Industry, Modern Love), and Lee Pace (Captain Marvel, The Good Shepherd). Before I go any further, SPOILER ALERT. Also, trigger warnings for: addiction, drug use, a relapse, discussions of an overdose, a mention of body dysmorphia, paranoia and anxiety, death, blood and gore, murder, suicide, discussions of gaslighting, toxic relationships and toxic friendships, alcohol (heavy drinking throughout), violence, cheating, jump scares, vomiting, mental illness, flashing lights, brief ableist language, sexual content, and gun violence.

I loved that this movie had wonderful LGBTQ2S+ representation - two of the lead women are dating and they are not met with homophobia, which is refreshing. I believe that this movie was made by someone in generation-Z (people born after 1997, according to Google) with other gen-Z people as its intended audience. The humor is very gen-Z focused and hilarious. The film is filled with classic horror tropes that set the scene for a spooky thrill. The storm takes away their power, forcing them to be guided using their phone flashlights for the whole night, they are stuck without reception so they cannot call for help, and their car battery runs out so they cannot escape. These tropes combined with the wicked storm, unreliable characters, and the fact that you do not know whodunnit until the end makes it very eerie.

I loved the game they played in the movie, as I grew up playing it (although I called it “Mafia,” and no dead bodies showed up). I had so much fun with all the characters being unreliable, it enhanced all the unexpected twists and turns. Also, I really liked that Pete Davidson’s character is not the nicest and not very funny; it shows off his acting props and breaks him free of the comedy typecast he has set himself up for. I loved how they made a TikTok video in the movie because it is always funny when TikTok is in a movie, and I know the song! The film is a classic slasher and whodunnit while also being very original, fun, and campy.

Bodies Bodies Bodies is more than just a drunken slasher - it is also full of social commentary. Because the mansion loses power, the partiers are forced to use their phone flashlights as their literal “guiding lights’' - I find it interesting and original that the majority of the film is lit with glow-sticks and phone flashlights. The film shows us the lengths we may go to when we lose our biggest crutch: cell service. In an interview with NYLON magazine, the director Halina Reijn said that she wanted to make this movie because she is so addicted to her phone that she is revolted by it and wanted to make something that commented on how that is so normalized in today’s world.

Overall, I loved this movie and was very pleasantly surprised at how great it was! It originally premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival, then had a limited theatrical release, and is now available digitally. I give it a strong 10/10 and cannot wait to watch more movies like it!