Do you remember that one song that emerged in the early days of the pandemic? The one that took the internet by storm and brought the entire world together because of how perfectly it captured the feeling of being “bored in the house”? That’s right. I’m talking about Gal Gadot’s star-studded cover of “Imagine.”

 

In all seriousness though, I’m obviously talking about Curtis Roach’s “Bored in the House.” While you’re probably wondering why that song is still relevant, it’s the hilarious theme of A24’s latest film, Bodies Bodies Bodies, in more ways than one. 

 

What happens when a bunch of privileged twenty-somethings get a little too bored in the house one evening? The answer, in this case, is murder, but the question is actually the premise of Halina Reign’s bloody brilliant horror comedy. What starts as a casual meet-up of close friends slowly becomes a murder mystery when one of them turns up dead.

 

The film stars Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Rachel Sennott, Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Lee Pace, and Pete Davidson, but the real stars are the tension, tension, toxicity, and total distrust that build when the body count begins to increase. While all the performances are great, there are two that just blew me away for very different reasons.

 

The first is Bakalova’s. Despite making a name for herself by humorously upstaging Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, she’s the most serious person in this film. I especially enjoyed how quickly her character - Bee - shifts from sincere to fierce as both the night and the story unfold.

 

I also enjoyed Sennott’s character. She plays Alice, the friend in the group who can’t think for herself who also happens to be a podcaster. It’s hard to talk about the total distrust that develops in the film without talking about Alice because the way she flips flops and throws people under the bus becomes infectious. Yet Sennott does it in a way that’s so natural that you can’t help but want to switch sides with her too. 

 

That goes into one of my favorite things about the film: there is no protagonist. Even when you start to think there is, there isn’t. And even when you think you can trust someone, Kristen Roupenian’s clever script gives you a reason not to. Every character has a secret. Over the course of the night, the perspective changes quite frequently. Not only is the story designed to keep you guessing to the very end, it does. I still can’t believe the resolution.

 

Now, although I enjoyed the film, there were a few minor things I would have changed. The first being Pete Davidson. While I do think he’s funny in real life (and I’m currently anti-Kanye West), here it literally feels like you’re watching him play himself. To be honest, I don’t even remember his character’s name. For that, it took a little more time to fully invest myself in the film.

 

The other problem I have with the film has more to do with the marketing than the actual final product. Since it was announced, the film has been categorized as a “slasher.” I just want to emphasize that it is much more of a horror thriller than a slasher. Without giving away too much, I think there are a few elements missing from the film that disqualify it from falling into that subgenre. 

 

Nevertheless, Bodies Bodies Bodies is still scary and especially entertaining. As a scathing satire poking fun at the woke, it may not be your traditional horror film, but it’s hard not to walk away horrified after seeing the “monster” in the mirror for yourself.