In principle, 'Bones and All' is even difficult to call a horror in the full sense of the word. Rather, it is a mishmash of genres, ideas, and scenes that sometimes combine with each other, and at other times cause slight bewilderment.
Synopsis
Maren (Taylor Russell) and her father (André Holland) frequently move from state to state, as if hiding from someone. Their temporary peace ends again when Maren bites off a classmate's finger. Soon enough, the girl will be left completely alone and will try to find herself in a world where she is surrounded by such appetizing people.
Maren must embark on a journey to find her mother and encounter several others like her, the Eaters, each of whom will teach her something. But the lesson of what it means to love and be loved, which Lee (Timothée Chalamet) will teach her, will prove to be the most significant of all.
'Bones and All' on Sound
Perhaps we have been a bit spoiled by horror films that rely entirely on scary monsters and sudden jump scares. That is why director Luca Guadagnino's attempt to do something new is quite understandable—a film that shows ordinary people doing unusual and frightening things. For this, he can definitely be praised.
Our spoiled nature does not allow us to be directly terrified by what is happening on screen, but the sound... Actually, all the horror is built almost solely from the sounds of flesh separating from bone, chewing, crunching. These sounds are loud, they accompany many scenes—and it is precisely because of them that there is a slight chance you will stop watching 'Bones and All,' even without waiting for Chalamet to appear on screen.
Teen Drama
What becomes amusing is the fact that, at its core, 'Bones and All' is not so much a horror film as a teen drama about relationships. A sort of 'Twilight' aimed at a more mature audience. Girl loves boy, boy loves girl, they try to find a place both in the world and in each other's lives. It just so happens that they are both cannibals. Oops.
Another association that unexpectedly came to mind is 'Nomadland'. It essentially has everything from that Oscar-winning film. Both the journey across the American states on four wheels, the feeling of loneliness and detachment, and the attempts to settle down that sometimes lead to unsatisfactory consequences.
That is quite the mixed bag.
Supporting Cast
I will perfectly understand people who, despite the unusualness of the main idea, find this film boring. The story is quite simple, and Guadagnino tries to make scenes long to let us better feel the characters and their state. 'Bones and All' suffers from one very common problem, where cutting out about 30-40 minutes would have made the film much more dynamic and tight. But no, we absolutely need the runtime to go over two hours now, otherwise no way.
But the film is still not made by Russell and Chalamet (although they are very good, and in Timothy's case we have gotten one of his most outstanding roles). The film is definitely made by the supporting characters and actors. A brief appearance by Chloë Sevigny leaves an indelible impression, Michael Stuhlbarg conveys both warmth and primal horror through the screen, and Jessica Harper touches unexpected chords in the soul.
And first and foremost, of course, Mark Rylance rules the roost here. What this Shakespearean actor does in film simply cannot be described in words. In an instant, he completely immerses himself in his eccentric character, thought out to the smallest details and maddeningly convincing. With a slight half-smile and a quiet, trusting voice, his Sully will surely enter the list of the most striking characters of 2022 and, in my opinion, deserves all the upcoming nominations.
Conclusion
Here I have to descend into the depths of subjectivity, because 'Bones and All' is absolutely not my film. I don't like drawn-out teen romances, body horror, or road movies. But I cannot help but realize that each of these elements in this picture is done simply perfectly.
There is another point that bothers me a bit – the overt allegorical nature of what happens. Instead of 'cannibals', the viewer is invited to substitute any other concept describing a 'socially suppressed group'. LGBT+, racial and ethnic minorities, representatives of different religions...
How do we know this? From the fact that throughout the entire film, Guadagnino tries so hard to instill sympathy and understanding for the cannibals that you involuntarily begin to wonder: are these main characters, who kill and eat people, really that bad? In my taste, the risk of causing unnecessary logical conclusions is too great, because many will understand the film literally and be horrified.
'Bones and All' is definitely a good, well-made film that is simply not for me. Probably, many viewers will come to this conclusion, but I still rather recommend watching it. Just plug your ears if the sounds become too unbearable.
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