The work of Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino has long been a feast for the eyes.
Films such as ‘I Am Love’, ‘A Bigger Splash’, and ‘Call Me By Your Name’ explored burning passions in the sun-drenched seaside towns of Italy, bathing stone houses and lush greenery in a golden glow. A pivot occurred in 2018 with his remake of the 1970s horror classic ‘Suspiria’, replacing the scenery of sunny Italy with grey Berlin, and passion with what proved to be an incredible eye for horrifically violent imagery. In his latest film, ‘Bones And All’, Guadagnino marries his visions of summer love with horror, crafting what may be one of the most gorgeous films about cannibalism to ever exist.
Forgoing Guadagnino’s usual European settings, ‘Bones And All’ travels across middle America in the '80s; his beloved golden-hour light bathing the vast green plains of this new location – beautifully captured by cinematographer Arseni Khachaturan.
Based upon the young adult novel by American author Camille DeAngelis, the story follows teenager Maren (played by Taylor Russell). She and her father (Andre Holland) roam across the country, escaping whenever Maren succumbs to her uncontrollable taste for human flesh. Upon her 18th birthday, Maren is abandoned by her father, left with a message on tape from him, and a birth certificate revealing the identity of her long-lost mother, leading to a cross-country journey to discover more about her cursed appetite.
As Maren travels, she meets other ‘eaters’, as they call themselves, and learns that she can also smell other ‘eaters’ (a twisted subversion of the ‘gifted young adult protagonist’ trope). The cast of fellow ‘eaters’ include ‘Halloween’ director David Gordon Green, and returning Guadagnino collaborators Chloe Sevigny and Michael Stuhlbarg, each unrecognisable and providing memorable performances in their short scenes. A standout performance comes from Academy Award-winning English actor Mark Rylance as the sinisterly folksy Sully, who kindly tries to mentor Maren in cannibalism. Beneath a somewhat hokey accent, Rylance’s performance avoids caricature for personality with some interesting mannerisms, from odd turns-of-phrase like “life ain’t dully with Sully” to showing how long he has been feasting on people by his laying down a plastic sheet before he begins feasting.
As expected from a cannibal film, there is a lot of gore that is sure to make some stomachs turn, with some scenes much more detailed than others. As shown in ‘Suspiria’, Guadagnino has a flair for horror and presenting it interesting ways, and that gift is on display in ‘Bones And All’. While not as inventively disturbing as the former film’s bone-breaking dance sequence, the sound of flesh being chewed as the camera floats over the victim’s nearby family portraits is a brilliantly cinematic way of adding emotional impact to such unsettling scenes.
While there is much flesh eating, the beating heart of the film is the romance between Russell’s Maren and fellow eater Lee, played by Timothee Chalamet. Chalamet, like Rylance, has stand-out moments – particularly a moment of letting loose to a KISS song being interrupted by seeing his blood-stained reflection. But together, Russell and Chalamet have sincere chemistry, portraying a blossoming romance and all its subtleties, from the initial nervous small talk and bonding over inside jokes, to moments of rawness and vulnerability as they both finally bond with someone who understands them.
‘Bones And All’ is an acquired taste, unlikely to appeal to a wide audience, but those with strong stomachs will be rewarded with a rich and complex piece of cinema to savour.
★★★★☆ ½.
‘Bones And All’ is in cinemas now.
