Dir. Luca Guadagino | Streaming On Prime | Rating: 4/5

In the last year, I’ve done a lot of research on the use of cannibalism as a metaphor for love in literature and film. I will never stop talking about the album Preacher’s Daughter by Ethel Cain, which was my introduction to this hauntingly enchanting theme. Bones and All wasn’t on my radar until Suzie and I sat down to write our Horror Love Stories episode, but this film blew me away. 

Bones and All knocks it out of the park with its creativity and innovation. This film blends subgenres so skillfully, we slip in and out of a romance and a gore fest without skipping a beat. This film is about cannibalism, but at its core, it’s also about identity. We watch two young people coming into adulthood hating themselves, and looking for someone or something to take that hate away. The simultaneous curiosity and shame of accepting who you are is palpable in this story. I can easily see how this film could also be used a foil for queerness, addiction, and general “otherness.”

Though the theming is strong, the runtime makes the storyline ramble on a bit. We’re drawn through multiple storylines between Maren and Lee’s extended circle that don’t have an immediate impact on the ending. Leaving out one or two of these side stories would’ve definitely strengthened the storytelling power. The acting falters a bit throughout the script, with some of the characters’ reactions and affect not quite lining up with actual events on screen. 

The ending of this film has not left my brain. It’s graphic, gory, and deeply unsettling. The devil is in the details of this film. Sully’s braid, Lee and Maren’s dialogue, the silence at the close of the film. All of it strikes a chord in your heart, you don’t know whether you feel more sadness or fear as you watch the credits roll. 

Ingeniously creative, somehow both blood chilling and touching, Bones and All is one to remember, even if it is a bit long winded. 

Know Before You Watch: Features extreme gore, death, blood.