Review: 'Bones And All,' A Romantic Horror Film That Bit Off More Than It Could Chew
Devastation Alert! This article contains spoilers for Bones and All.
Like its predecessor, Twilight, Bones and All attempts to be a romance, horror, and coming-of-age movie but fails in both categories.
Set in Cincinnati and starring Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell, the film is a chilling commentary on family, morality and identity with a cannibalistic subplot that only distracts from the true horror: Russell's micro-explosions.
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The film, which premiered on Wednesday November 23, was directed by Luca Guadagnino and marks his first collaboration with Chalamet since 2017's Call Me By Your Name. The 2022 release is also an adaptation of Camille's young adult novel of the same name DeAngelis.
Set in the 1980s, Bones and All follows a multiracial teenager named Maren (Russell) who moves across states with her father (Andre Holland) to feed his unusual appetite for human flesh. Having recently moved to Virginia, Maren reveals her bloodthirsty nature in a dream when she bites the finger of a guest.
Angered by her outburst of violence, Maren rushes home to her father, who according to her father has a few minutes to socialize during the night. Shortly thereafter, on the morning of her 18th birthday, Maren wakes up to find that Holland has left her with just an 8-track audio cassette and some change as a reminder.
© YANNIS DRAKOULIDIS/METRO GOLDWYN MAYER PHOTO Bones and All (November 23, cinema): Luca Guadagnino's father is also a love story between young Maren (Taylor Russell, left) and Lee (Timothy Chalamet in Two Cans). ). A bloody journey across America.After her father abandons her, Maren goes in search of her missing mother and discovers the roots of her cannibalistic desires. During this search, she meets Lee (Chalamet), who offers to help her find her missing mother. Lee is drawn to Mare as he deals with his own conflict with his parents, not only because of his mom and dad issues, but also because he suffers from the same zombie compulsions as the film's protagonist.
On their trip to the country, the two "eaters", as they call themselves, feast on many humble people and fall in love with each other. But when Maren finally finds her missing mother in a mental institution, the honeymoon phase of their relationship comes to an abrupt end. Despite her current circumstances, she initially looks forward to seeing Mother Carissima until she is attacked by a suicidal woman. Mare's mother is also a self-loathing "eater" who wishes her daughter would die to rid the world of her serial killer tendencies.
After her attack, Maren runs through town again, leaving Lee behind. Meet a creepy old eater named Sully (Mark Rylance) whom he met early on in his journey. At this point, the film loses direction until Maren realizes that self-loathing is for losers and reunites with Lee.
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As their passionate romance reignites, Lee Maren finally reveals a secret she's been keeping for nearly four years: she ate her father. He decided to eat his family after a drunken bout from his father, another "eater". Cannibalism seems to be an inherited trait in this film.
At the end of the 2 hour 15 minute film, two young drifters decide to build a home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A montage of happy moments before Sully, who is trying to kill Mare because she doesn't want to be friends with the couple, pays her an unexpected visit? To be honest, the reason behind this sudden attack remains unclear to me.
But luckily for Maren, Lee comes to her rescue and fights old Sully until he lies dead in the bathroom. But not before Lee was stabbed in the chest. He makes a final plea to Maren, who is bleeding rapidly and was knocked unconscious. You can probably guess where this is going.
© Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images The film Bones and All, directed by Luca Guadagnino and released on Wednesday November 23, marks his first collaboration with actor Timothée Chalamet since Call Me By Your Name in 2017.The 2022 film Bones and All aims to be a social commentary on family and morality. The result is a beautiful, albeit worse, film version of the 2008 hit Twilight.
The final sister film of the decade is an "elevated" version of the wolf breeding craze that swept the country in the early to mid-2000s. Magic of the Vampire Franchise. It just doesn't have that shine.
From the writing to the plot to the performance, Bones and All takes itself a little too seriously to be funny. The film, which presents itself as both an adult romance novel and a horror film, fails to embody both categories in a meaningful way.
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Perhaps Guadagnino and his longtime collaborator David Kajganich of the University of Miami bit off more than they could chew. Dealing with the complexity of generational trauma related to identity formation is not an easy task. But then you add in a teenage romance, moral analysis, and the occasional queer subplot, and what you get is a film that suffers from its own ongoing identity crisis.
Sure, there were interesting moments in the film. For example, the audio recording of Mare's father's carnivorous past. The inclusion of these scenes sets the tone for the film and provides much-needed context for our hero's tendencies. Interesting was the conversation between Maren, Lee and two other forest eaters, in which we learn that human feasting can also be an acquired taste.
But those moments are few. What perseveres throughout the film are disturbing fictional images that have no real impact on the viewer. Yes, Maren and Lee eat people like their parents and they may or may not be sorry, but what else? Is it a sin to eat people? Does it depend on the circumstances? Depends on who the person is? What are the rules?
© Vittorio Zunino Celotto, Getty Images Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell attend a photocall for 'Bones And All' at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2022 in Venice, Italy.Those are the questions this Cincinnati film tries to answer, but it only scratches the surface. Instead of grappling with that analysis, we're treated to a teenage melodrama that plays more like Wattpad fanfiction than a deep love story.
Bonnie and Clyde side-story aside, Russell and Chalamet's performances do little to liven up this tepid film. Her quiet, menacing performance, intended to embody the spirit of teenage angst, lacked the sincerity and emotional depth needed to convey the inner struggle that plagues both characters.
As Slant Magazine reported, "neither Russell nor the punk-clad Chalamet do much more than speak softly and pose beautifully, even when covered head-to-toe in artery spray." That assessment couldn't be more accurate, even with Chalamet's mesmerizing dance to KISS's "Lick It Up."
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What saves the film, however, is the upbeat score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, which underscores the film's wistful emo Midwestern roots. Thankfully, the film's soundtrack reminds viewers that the film was shot in the area, as the locally shot film lacked the familiar Cincinnati setting.
As a non-Cincinnatian native, I missed a reference. Please leave us a comment and let us know if you see a local spot in the film.
Despite its flaws, Bones and All is a beautifully brutal portrayal of teenage angst and a desire to define one's identity on one's own terms. An ambitious cross-genre endeavor, Bones and All seeks to explore the impact of family trauma on young adults. While the film raises several unanswered questions, the most consistent theme is: do killers deserve to find love?
This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: Review: Romantic Horror Movie 'Bones and All' bit off more than he could chew.
