Vampires are experiencing a resurgence, thanks to AMC’s Interview with a Vampire and Peacock’s Vampire Academy, while zombies are on the decline. And the question now is, can cannibals fill the void left by the exit of The Walking Dead et al? If Mimi Cave’s Fresh and Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All are any indication, then, yes, cannibals are prepared to gnaw their way into our horror-loving hearts.
Bones and All is weird and warped, and am I wrong when I call it the first legitimate coming-of-age cannibal love story? The gore’s delivered in ample servings, but there’s such an amazingly sweet love story flowing through Bones and All’s veins that even those who don’t normally like their dishes served rare will gobble up this R-rated adaptation of Camille DeAngelis’ novel.
The budding romance between 18-year-old Maren (Taylor Russell in a breakthrough performance) and the slightly more worldly Lee (Timothée Chalamet, solidifying his place as one of the best actors of his generation) is the beating heart of the story. Maren’s a loner who, after one mistake too many, is forced out into the cold, cruel world by her single father (Andre Holland). Apparently removing the flesh from a fellow high schooler’s finger is an offense punishable by desertion.
Before he vanished, Maren’s dad recorded a tape explaining his actions. He also left a small amount of money and, most importantly, Maren’s birth certificate. Up to this point, Maren didn’t know much about her mom. Now, on her own with no idea what’s in store for her future, Maren sets out to locate her mother.
Maren’s barely on the road when another flesh-eating foodie sniffs her out. Literally. Fun fact – according to Bones and All, people-eaters have a different smell than the rest of us. The newly orphaned Maren spends a short time with a pathetic loner named Sully (a scenery-chomping Mark Rylance) and picks up a few tricks and tips before his disturbing vibe gets under her skin and she flees.
Fortunately, her next random encounter with an anthropophagist is less threatening. Their meet-cute is more psycho than most couple intros in Hollywood films but just as satisfying.
Maren and Lee are two lonely, lost souls, unsure of each other and of themselves. Yet, there’s an undeniable connection. Although neither Maren nor Lee initially understand how much they need each other, their shared preferred diet sparks a relationship that moves quickly from friends to lovers.
They steal, murder, and do whatever’s necessary as they make their way via backroads and through small towns in search of Maren’s mother. And while it sounds completely mental, these two crazy kids make us want to pull them in for a warm hug and shower them with promises that everything will be okay. They’ll never be able to lead normal lives, and that’s absolutely heartbreaking.
Bones and All is set in the ‘80s which is the perfect decade for this twisted coming-of-age horror romance road trip. Social media access would have doomed this relationship, as would the popularity of cell phones and home security cameras. The road trip affords Maren and Lee the opportunity to reflect on their situation and dream about an actual future together as a couple without distractions.
Although selective, their actions impact the friends and families of their victims, and guilt, remorse, and self-loathing battle for possession of their emotions. But they’re stronger together and able to push those feelings onto the back burner and get out of their own heads for a while.
Director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name with Chalamet and Armie Hammer) and his outstanding cast, led by the incredible Taylor Russell and always impressive Timothee Chalamet, deliver a heart-wrenching, multi-layered love story. Maren and Lee’s internal battles are exquisitely portrayed, from Lee’s struggle to come to terms with his father’s abuse to Maren’s efforts to understand her family’s history and why her father turned his back on her.
Bones and All is a surprisingly moving, beautifully written character study of two outcasts who, against all odds, find their soulmates. That sentence is not one I expected to write about a movie focused on two young cannibals.
GRADE: A
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, brief graphic nudity, some sexual content, and strong, bloody, violent content
Release Date: November 23, 2022
Running Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Directed By: Luca Guadagnino
Written By: David Kajganich, based on Camille DeAngelis’ novel
