Review of Bones and All (2022) by Rebecca31 — 14 Dec 2022

Maren (Taylor Russell) is a young woman living with her father who is desperately trying to keep her from acting on her urges to consume human flesh. After a shocking incident she is forced to live on the margins of society where she meets Lee (Timothée Chalamet). She also encounters the terrifying Sully (Mark Rylance), who plays the character so well your skin will crawl every time he's onscreen. But it's Lee that Maren is ultimately drawn to and they embark on a journey of self-discovery together.

I guess cannibals need love too, but sorry Luca Guadagnino I just couldn't buy into the premise of the movie. Bones and All isn't quite what I was expecting. It's a mishmash of genres that never really blend together and perhaps there is a good drama/romance about cannibals out there but Bones and All isn't it. I feel this might have been a better idea to have this as a full-blown horror instead. Let's be honest, cannibalism is a horrifying topic in itself, it's right there and sure keep the romance as a subplot but condense that aspect, keep the suspense full on and shorten the runtime. Instead you're got two characters discovering themselves through their blossoming relationship but also they're both "eaters" and have the uncontrollable urge to eat people, and after a while the urge becomes so overpowering the only way to satisfy the craving is to find a suitable victim. One half of Bones and All is a very different movie and every now and again you're reminded that these two are living on the outskirts of society for a bloody good reason. There are scenes within Bones and All that are genuinely scary but overall I didn't find that the two genres worked well together. I found myself becoming constantly disengaged with the film as it dragged on and on. My idea of a good cannibal story involves Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lector. Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet are great onscreen together and have strong chemistry. I feel I tried very hard to like Bones and All but I wasn't a fan and was relieved when it finally ended.

I love weird films and particularly stories that try something different but this just didn't work for me at all. It's hard to find an audience to recommend Bones and All to. I can't imagine many fans of Call Me By Your Name are going to like this. The trailer gives you a taste of what to expect but I still found it disappointing. Recommended for fans of Raw, there's a chance you'll enjoy Bones and All.