Review: 'Bones and All,' a romantic horror film that bit off more than it could chew

Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for the film "Bones and All."

Much like its “Twilight” predecessor, “Bones and All” attempts to be a romance, horror and coming-of-age movie all in one but fails at succeeding in any particular category.

The movie, filmed in Cincinnati and starring Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell, is a gruesome commentary on family, morality and identity with a cannibalistic subplot that only distracts from the real horror: Russell’s micro bangs.

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The film, which premiered Wednesday, Nov. 23., was directed by Luca Guadagnino, making it his first collaboration with Chalamet since their 2017 film “Call Me by Your Name.” The 2022 release is also an adaptation of Camille DeAngelis’ young adult novel of the same name.

Set in the 1980s, "Bones and All" follows a biracial teenager named Maren (Russell), who moves from state to state with her father (André Holland) to outrun her unusual appetite for human flesh. After their latest move to Virginia, Maren reveals her blood-thirsty nature at a sleepover when she bites off one of the partygoers' fingers.

Distraught over her violent outburst, Maren runs home to her father, who says they have only a few minutes to pack their bags before disappearing into the night. Shortly after, on the morning of her 18th birthday, Maren awakens to find that Holland has left her to fend for herself, with only an 8-track audio tape and some petty cash to remember him by.

After her father's abandonment, Maren embarks on a journey to find her absent mother and uncover the roots of her cannibalistic desires. During this quest, she meets Lee (Chalamet) who says he will help her find her estranged mother. Dealing with his own parental strife, Lee is drawn to Maren not just because of their mommy and daddy issues but because he, too, suffers from the same zombie-like compulsion as the film's protagonist.

During their cross-country journey, the two "eaters," as they call themselves, feast on a host of unassuming individuals while falling deeply in love. However, the honeymoon period of their relationship comes to an abrupt halt when Maren finally finds her long-lost mother in a psychiatric hospital. She is initially excited to see mommy-dearest, despite her present living conditions, until she is attacked by the woman who gave her life. Maren's mother is also a self-hating "eater" who wishes her daughter dead to rid the world of her serial killer tendencies.

Following her attack, Maren skips town again, leaving Lee in her dust. She runs into a creepy old feeder named Sully (Mark Rylance) whom she met at the beginning of her journey. At this point, the film all but loses direction until Maren realizes that self-hatred is for losers and reunites with Lee.

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Upon reigniting their passionate love affair, Lee finally lets Maren in on the secret he's been harboring for nearly four years: He ate his father. The decision to devour his next of kin came after a drunken attack by his father, another closeted "eater." Apparently, cannibalism is an inherited trait in this movie.

By the end of the two-hour and 15-minute film, the two young drifters decide to make a home for themselves in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A montage of blissful moments ensue before the couple receives an impromptu visit from Sully, who tries to kill Maren for not wanting to be his friend? Honestly, the motivation for this sudden attack remains unclear to me.

But luckily for Maren, Lee comes to her rescue, fighting off old Sully until he is lying dead in their bathtub. But not before Lee takes a stab wound to the chest. Quickly bleeding out and losing consciousness, he asks Maren for one last request. You can probably guess where this is heading.

The 2022 film, "Bones and All," aims to be a social commentary on family and morality. Still, the end result is a cinematically beautiful, albeit gorier, version of the 2008 Blockbuster hit "Twilight."

The decade-late twin film is a "high-brow" knockoff of the monster mating craze that swept the country in the early-to-mid 2000s. Despite its beautiful cinematography and roster of A-list actors, the film falls short of replicating the same magic of the vampire franchise. It just doesn't have that sparkle.

From the writing, plot, and performances, "Bones and All" takes itself just a little too seriously for it to be enjoyable. Touting itself as a coming-of-age romance and horror film, the movie fails to embody each category in a significant way.

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Perhaps Guadagnino and his longtime collaborator, and Miami University alum David Kajganich bit off more than they could chew, pun intended. Tackling the complexities of generational trauma, as it relates to forming one's identity, is no easy feat. But then you add the teen love story, analysis of morality and a random Queer sub-plot and what you get is a movie that suffers from its own ongoing identity crisis.

Sure, the film had some interesting moments. For instance, the audio recording of Maren's father chronologizing her carnivorous past. The inclusion of these scenes sets the film's tone and provides some much-needed context into our protagonist's proclivities. The conversation in the woods between Maren, Lee and two other eaters, where we learn that feasting on humans can also be an acquired taste, was also quite intriguing.

But these moments are few and far between. What persists throughout the film are ominously crafted shots that fail to make a real impact on the viewer. Yes, Maren and Lee eat people, as do their parents, and they may or may not feel remorseful for doing so, but what else? Is it wrong to eat people? Does it depend on the circumstances? Does it depend on who the person is? What are the rules?

These are the questions the Cincinnati-based film attempts to answer but only scratches the surface. Instead of engaging with this analysis, we get banal shots of the teen melodrama that reads more like Wattpad fan fiction than a profound love story.

Beyond the derivative "Bonnie and Clyde" storyline, Russell and Chalamet's performances also do little to bring life to this tepid film. Their quiet, contemplative delivery, meant to embody the spirit of teen angst, lacked the sincerity and emotional depth needed to convey the internal struggles that plagued both of their characters.

As reported in Slant Magazine, "Neither Russell nor the punk-garbed Chalamet do much beyond speaking gently and posing attractively, even when covered head to toe in arterial spray." This assessment couldn't be more accurate, even despite Chalamet's charming dance to KISS’s “Lick It Up.”

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What saves the film, however, is the evocative score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross that emphasizes the film's melancholy Midwest emo roots. Thankfully the film's soundtrack reminds viewers that the motion picture was shot in the region since the locally filmed feature did not have a recognizable Cincinnati scene.

As a non-native Cincinnatian, I may have missed a reference. Please feel free to leave us a comment and tell us if you saw any local spots in the film.

Despite its shortcomings, "Bones and All" is a beautifully brutal portrayal of teen angst and the desire to define one's identity on their terms. An ambitious attempt at genre-bending, "Bones and All" seeks to uncover the impact of familial trauma on a young adult. Although the movie raised several unanswered questions, the most persistent theme is: Do killers deserve to find love?

Watch the "Bones and All" trailer here

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Bones and All' bit off more than it could chew | Movie review