Bones and All
Road movie about cannibalistic young lovers trying to find their place in the world
The brief
Guadagnino turns cannibalism into an aching road movie about young love, with Russell and Chalamet playing outcasts whose hunger isolates them from normal society. The horror elements feel almost incidental to the tender romance at its center - this plays more like a melancholy indie drama that happens to have some genuinely disturbing moments. Chalamet brings his usual wounded sensitivity while Russell anchors everything with a performance that's both vulnerable and fierce. If you loved the strange intimacy of Raw or A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, this bloody coming-of-age story will probably work for you.
The verdict
If you're drawn to unconventional love stories that prioritize emotional intimacy over genre thrills, this haunting road movie will captivate you with its tender performances and melancholy beauty. If you're expecting a traditional horror film or can't stomach cannibalism as a central plot element, you'll find this slow-burning romance frustratingly light on scares and deeply unsettling in all the wrong ways.
Watch with
- 👫 Date night for horror fans who love character studies
- ⚠️ Skip if squeamish about cannibalism or body horror
Heads up
- Cannibalism and eating human flesh (moderate)
- Graphic violence and blood (moderate)
- Child abandonment and neglect themes (brief)
- Disturbing body horror imagery (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Luca Guadagnino
- Cast
- Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet, Mark Rylance, Anna Cobb, André Holland, David Gordon Green, Michael Stuhlbarg
Official synopsis
Abandoned by her father, a young woman embarks on a thousand-mile odyssey through the backroads of America
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Both explore fractured people seeking connection through violent, intimate road journeys.
Total runtime: 2h 11m + 1h 29m = 3h 40m
