Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Bones and All’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet in Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Bones and All.’ (Photo Courtesy of Yannis Drakoulidis/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures © MGM 2022, All Rights Reserved.)

Caution: This article contains minor spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Bones and All’.
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We are told often when we are young, that we are living through precious days. The kind that are filled with wonder and awe. For we are seeing the world through fresh and unbiased eyes, and we get to experience so much for the first time ever, and we are of course… pure of heart. Which is why our childhood friendships are so simple and wonderful in nature and that is why we as kids have not a care in the world. For all we are filled with is joy. Which is why adults admire us and tell us to cherish these days, for not only will they never come again, but they will get us through the tough times ahead when we leave all of it behind to enter a world that is both cruel and unwholesome at times. Which is a fascinating message when you think about it… because it is so inherently wrong.
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Because youth isn’t always a wondrous time. There’s so much we don’t understand and so little agency that we enjoy as kids and teens. Not to mention, hurt exists as a kid, as does pain and suffering. Not to mention, adulthood has its own wonders to offer. Because when we are on our own and begin to forge our own way… we discover wonders and joy untold. Which means the message we give children should change, to express that life is simply a collection of wondrous and painful moments… and that each of them will teach us plenty about ourselves and the world we only live within for a brief period of fleeting time. So that children and teens are better prepared for the awkward nature of growing up and finding our place in the world and are ready for the hurt that we experience in those formative years.

If anything, such thoughts are top of mind today, simply because they serve as the engine of the brand-new horror feature, Bones and All. For this is a story that is grounded heavily in the old way of thinking, and it accomplishes such a feat by introducing us to a unique young woman named Maren. Who has lived the best childhood she can all things considered and is forced out into the world the instant she turns eighteen to learn about life and her past on her own, free from her father who has simply left. Primarily because Maren harbors a fascinating secret. In that, she is a rare creature of sorts, an ‘Eater’, that can easily consume and ingest human flesh and her monstrous hunger has prompted him to leave, so she can figure out her identity on her own and her place in a world where cannibalism is not the norm. 

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Which is a plot that is grounded heavily in horror, but truly does explore… those precious days when we first step out into the world with minimal understanding of it. Which makes this a horrific coming of age story in many ways, one where we watch Maren fumble about as we fumbled about in those early days away from home. All while she tries to juggle living and loving, since she also comes into contact with another Eater that captures her heart, and of course… she’s eager to understand the origins of her affliction and its meaning and that too is part of her journey.  All of which makes this film, painfully relatable and oddly realistic. Simply because… minus the whole cannibalism thing, these are life experiences we’ve all gone through in some form or fashion, at that age no less.
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But make no mistake about it, this is a horror film at heart, and it happily leans into the scary and gory stuff no problem at all. Courtesy of Maren’s true calling as an Eater and the secret society of them that roam the lands taking flesh where the opportunity arises. Which of course leads to some supremely unsettling gore, and some uncomfortable feelings. Since the film makes a point to show us Maren when she indulges. But where this movie truly shines, is how it uses her abilities and the horror of being an Eater, to further the film’s themes and concepts. Since such storytelling decisions allow for cannibalism to serve as the allegory for the awkwardness of our individuality in youth and of course, it also serves as the allegory for that which hurts us in life. Since it gives rise to bad people and often is associated with ugly and painful moments for Maren.

Which makes this, a supremely cerebral and moving horror feature. One that is shockingly human in nature, despite featuring inhuman acts. But the raw love that Maren shares with Lee, and the struggles she goes through to find agency and direction in life, balances all of that nicely and truly reminds us of the horror of growing up and the wonder adult life can provide, and it truly hammers home that we as a society, need to prepare our youth better for life ahead. Because a great deal of the ugliest of mistakes we make at that age could be avoided… with direction and care and all of these elements makes this a must-see horror film. Because it is haunting, and beautiful, and horrifying in all right ways, and captivating as well… courtesy of a refreshing and engaging plot that brings unparalleled meaning and realism to a genre that rarely offers that.

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