Venice 2022: Bones and All
VENICE / WARNER BROSIn the acknowledgment of Bones and All, Camille DeAngelis states that she wrote her road movie about a misunderstood cannibal girl as an allegory for life as a vegan. It is the type of statement that takes away from the story rather than enhancing it, as the YA horror novel gets lost in its repetitiveness and delivers few surprises and emotions that feel earned. But there was potential there, and Luca Guadagnino saw it.
With his adaptation, the Italian filmmaker makes some key, welcome changes to the book, turning Bones and All into a proper romance with strong queer tones. Taylor Russell’s Marene has just been left by her dad, and she embarks on a journey to find her lost daughter. On this road trip she meets a handful of fellow cannibals, ultimately striking a friendship with Lee (Timothee Chalamet).
Cannibalism remains one of the more taboo elements in horror cinema, usually reserved for some of the most vile villains and creatures around. Over the past few years, there has been an attempt at going deeper into this disturbing yet fascinating idea of consuming another human being, and Bones and All follows the tradition of Julia Ducournau’s Raw in its portrayal of “positive” cannibalism for social outcasts.
The way that the man-eaters smell each other and avoid spending too much time together is very much in-line with queer culture in the 1980s, when both movie and book are set. While no explicit comments are made about it, this constant sense of fear in the other is in line with the terror that came with the AIDS epidemic earlier in the decade. This extra layer elevates not only the horror (which is scarce but quite stomach-churning) but also the drama: the characters of Marene and Lee are aimlessly wondering in a world where they do not fit in with other, and only their companionship and growing love can remove their loneliness.
Bones and All is a strong return to horror cinema for Luca Guadagnino, and Taylor Russell proves once again that she is one of the most fearless and captivating young performers working today. The movie shies away from greatness due to following too closely the trappings of the horror genre with a seeming lack of self-awareness: a couple of jump-scares and musical stings especially were excessively predictable. Thankfully, the romantic core of the narrative and chemistry between Russell and Chalamet is strong enough to carry an otherwise touching tale of self-discovery.