BODIES, BODIES, BODIES

US, 2022, 93 minutes, Colour.

Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Rachel Sennot, Chase Sui Wonders, Pete Davidson, Myha’la Herrold, Lee Pace, Conor O'Malley.

Directed by Halina Reijn.

The title is, of course, enticing for those who want some kind of thriller, possibly with horror overtones. And, in fact, something of this does happen. However, this is very much a story about young twentysomethings, seemingly written by twentysomethings (although the director was in her 40s making it), using the vocabulary of twentysomethings (with its very limited vocabulary and exclamations).

Which means that there is a very limited appeal despite the title.

The film seems to have more than an eye on Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indian/And Then There Were None. A group of young people assemble on an island on a very stormy night, some not invited but gatecrashing. They play a game of Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, with the chosen victim and everybody trying to work out whodunnit. So far, so ordinary. But, then the host is found with his throat slit. And the suspicion is on the older boyfriend who has accompanied one of the women. When he acts suspiciously, he is attacked with an axe. There are three more deaths, of the young women, leaving only the two who introduce the film, a wealthy heiress with mental and drug problems and a protégé in the beginning of a lesbian relationship.

The solution, in this context, is more than corny. However, there is a certain cleverness in the concept and would have been interesting to see what Agatha Christie would have done with it.

The film has a strong enough cast, Amandla Stenberg has appeared in substantial films. Maria Bakalova was introduced to cinema in the Borat Subsequent Moviefillm. The first victim is comedian, Pete Davidson. The second is Lee Pace.

The whole thing is not to be taken seriously – although is presented seriously enough, with touches of satire. But, maybe that is not enough, especially with all the characters having very low emotional intelligence quotient, very low likability quotient, especially the hysterical Alice (who we might have hoped had been dispatched earlier!).

It may be destined to be a cult film in the future. But, as someone remarked, how much do you really want to hang out with a bunch of partying gen z cliches?