‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Review

Director(s): Halina Reijn

Writer(s): Sarah DeLappe

Cast: Maria Bakalova, Amandla Stenberg, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace

Over recent years, murder mysteries and whodunnits have found themselves in the middle of a cultural renaissance as they have risen back to prominence. Films like Knives Out and games like Among Us have helped revitalize this genre. Bodies Bodies Bodies looks to add itself to this genre with a horror/slasher spin tailor-made for this generation.

Bodies Bodies Bodies follows a group of rich friends as they host a party at a remote mansion during the middle of a hurricane. When the party goes awry, and one of the friends is killed during a game of Bodies Bodies Bodies – a murder mystery game amongst the friends – the game becomes reality as they try to figure out who committed the murders before it’s too late.

During the playing of Bodies Bodies Bodies – the game, not the movie – Lee Pace’s Greg tells Pete Davidson’s David: “The best defense is a good offense.” David, as the narcissistic chaos builder he is, questions Greg in a way to insult the much older boyfriend of Rachel Sennott’s Alice. Everyone in the room knows David is messing with Greg, except for Greg who, after surveying the room and realizing that picking a fight with an immature 20-something-year-old might not be the best idea, decides to call it a night and go to bed. Greg, being more mature, knows to stop and removes himself from the situation, allowing himself, and the group, a chance to cool off. David on the other hand doesn’t let up, egging on the group to the point of tears.

This is one of the first moments in Halina Reijn’s film that the audience starts to get a real feel for these characters. One thing that is learned quickly in Bodies Bodies Bodies is that none of these characters are all that likable. Sarah DeLappe’s perfectly calculated script gives the audience a chance to both root for and against most of the characters. Anyone involved could have committed the murder and the way the group of friends quickly turns on each other is fascinating.

There also needs to be something said about the humor of this movie, which really stands out thanks to Rachel Sennott’s performance. Sennott was hilarious and gave some of the most perfectly imperfect line deliveries I have heard in years. Lee Pace also gives a completely chaotic and hilarious performance as Sennott’s much older boyfriend. The comedy in this movie works well because of how it is used, and how it highlights the tense moments that follow it. If you don’t love the horror aspects of this movie, then hopefully the humor will suffice.

Bodies Bodies Bodies is a rousing horror whodunnit that is as comedic as it is tense. It’s a movie for this generation in the same way that Scream was in the past. Rachel Sennott and Lee Pace are the standouts in a stellar top to bottom cast.

Grade: A-

2022 Film Rankings

Jacob is a film critic and co-founder of the Music City Drive-In. He is a member of the Music City Film Critics’ Association and specializes in the awards season. You can find him on Twitter @Tberry57.