Karl’s review published on Letterboxd:
Whether or not you enjoy Bodies X 3 will probably depend on the actors and your tolerance of Gen Z angst. I happen to like the majority of them so I had a good time even when being frustrated as they make questionable decisions. You’ve got to keep in mind that most of them are severely chemically altered. An array of mind-altering substances are freely available. Though some actions toward the end ring false. But what do I know? I’m a far cry from the demographic.
Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova (almost unrecognizable and showing range) and Amandla Stenberg (so good!) are best in show but really all the ladies are compelling even when annoying. Rachel Sennot from Shiva Baby and Myha’la Herrold (fierce!) are compulsively watchable. The escalating tensions that erupt during an all-night party during a hurricane reminded me of parts of The Boys in the Band. In that play/film the characters expose the ugly truth and inflict harsh readings on one another. There’s a good fifteen minutes that felt like that and I loved it. Speaking of plays the centralized location could have caused the film to feel like one but thankfully we’ve got some pretty good filmmaking here.
Director Halona Rijn, who also did the under seen generically titled, Instinct*, about a therapist who starts to lust after her rapist patient, has a great eye. She’s definitely seen Argento’s Suspiria. There’s a lot of shots of young women running in the rain. The score at times even echoes Goblin. Unfortunately the film begins to run out of batteries during the climax which is a real no-no especially in thrillers. This is no Knives Out. If you’re expecting a Clue for Gen Z you might be disappointed.
Is it scary? Not really. Though there are some haunting shots of appropriately enough dead bodies. Particularly a couple of shots of faces as the life drains out of them. Seeing Gen Z cope or rather not cope, without wifi service might be the scariest of all.
*boxd.it/257UbT my thoughts on Instinct
