Independent entertainment film company A24 released their latest dark comedy slasher flick, “Bodies Bodies Bodies” on August 5. The highly anticipated horror film features comedian Pete Davidson, drama actress Amandla Stenberg and other upcoming young actors. The plot sticks to a murder-mystery idea as the group finds one of their friends dead after playing their favorite party game, “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” As the story continues, the group finds themselves in life-or-death situations due to the drama that heightens between multiple characters. Although numerous twists and surprises surface, the plot twist at the end of the film creates the perfect connection to the primary genre of the film, a Gen-Z satire slasher.

Spoilers Ahead

Problems arise when the group decides to play “Bodies Bodies Bodies” after their power blows out from the hurricane. With murderous tendencies in mind, the group starts a game they will regret in a matter of minutes. While everyone decides to continue the game after the first round, Bee finds herself in an unlikely situation. Found dead outside in the hurricane, David lies lifeless on his side. Someone in the group murdered him.

The group first connected that Greg headed to his room earlier than everyone else and did not return downstairs amidst the screams from the group. After an argument among the friends, Bee takes it upon herself to kill Greg with a kettlebell weight before he can kill anyone else. Emma becomes the next victim of the secret murderer after Sophie finds her dead at the bottom of the stairs. The movie’s end reveals that Sophie accidentally tripped Emma down the stairs. After a long fight between the remaining group, someone fires a gun. The bullet hit Alice in the heart, killed by pure accident.

After multiple running and fighting scenes, Bee pushes Jordan off the railing and solidifies her place as last on the kill list. The final segment of the movie led Sophie and Bee to David’s phone, and by surprise, David’s phone reveals an unpublished TikTok of him trying to open his drink with a sword and accidentally killing himself. The murder mystery comically debunked itself after killing almost every character.

“I really enjoyed the movie; the visuals paired with the mix of dry humor was perfect. The acting was my favorite part, I felt a connection to almost every character. The drama that built up between the friendships and couples was even more fun to watch than the actual horror,” NC junior Danielle Anderson said.

The exciting dry-comedy presented eye-catching visuals, lighting, screen direction and a layered story with amazing actors and actresses. Although the movie currently stands at an 89% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, numerous critics did not feel pleased with the movie’s direction and pacing.

“There’s plenty of violence amid the confusion and chaos, but it never plants firmly down as a good thriller mystery. The characters are a bit too much, like caricatures. And the reveal is a joke,” Critic Lee McCoy said.

“Bodies Bodies Bodies” presented multiple issues, such as randomly rushed plot pacing toward the end of the film. In addition, the constant arguing between the characters becomes tiring to the audience early on in the film. Critics and movie analyzers will catch these issues within the film effortlessly, but casual viewers will most likely still enjoy the movie. While the film did not succeed in its A24 competitor, “Bullet Train”, it still stood out as a refreshing young adult slasher to add to the list.

The Chant’s Grade: B+