You might be surprised to learn that, unsavoury as it sounds, cannibalism has long existed since the first appearance of Homo sapiens.
Practised among prehistoric humans, it lingered into the 19th century in some isolated cultures, and is purportedly still carried out among – thankfully – rare tribes.
On the silver screen, the subject has been featured in many horror movies, most of them gore-fests that (pun intended) are often too much to stomach.
Fortunately, while it starts off seemingly as a run-of-the-mill flick about human beings who eat other human beings, “Bones and All” provides a refreshingly different take on the genre.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me By Your Name”), this is a coming-of-age film about Maren (Taylor Russell) and Lee (Timothée Chalamet), two fine young cannibals who fall in love while coming to terms with their addiction to human flesh.
As the story unfolds, Maren leaves home to look for her mum, who left the family when she was young. Along the way, she meets a seasoned (heh) fellow cannibal named Sully (Mark Rylance), and later crosses paths with Lee.
Clearly, some suspension of disbelief is required – how likely is it for a flesh eater to bump into a series of fellow flesh eaters the moment she leaves home?
To further demonstrate this point, Lee and Maren improbably meet two other cannibals not long after. Upon learning that one of them eats human meat by choice and not out of instinct, she feels disgusted and flees.
This reaction is noteworthy in that it conveys the various emotions Maren is grappling with. She instantly feels comfortable with Lee, is craving his companionship, but is troubled by their proclivity for human flesh, and wants to be a “good” person.
Lee tells her this is not possible, which leads to an interesting existential question: is it possible to run away from your true nature?
Blood is thicker, and all that
The theme of family is also prevalent in “Bones and All”, as exemplified through Lee’s relationship with his younger sister. Despite the fact that viewers have seen him cold-bloodedly murder and eat others, the bond between the siblings is touching.
And then there’s Maren’s attempt at coming to terms with being abandoned by her father, and wanting to know who her mother is. This leads to the discovery of her own family history, and how cannibalism has long played a role in her progenitors’ culinary choices.
When a mental asylum comes into the picture, it gives you a solid idea of the ramifications faced by these characters when they try to deny who and what they are.
Also, as it turns out, there is a point to Sully’s introduction early in the story, leading to a good old-fashioned love triangle. Even as Lee and Maren attempt to lead a new life in another town, the movie suggests, again, that there’s no outrunning your truth – at least, not without repercussions.
And so, the climax of the film is especially bloody and heartbreaking, one that involves Maren proving her love for Lee through one final, fulfilling and – ahem – filling act.
While clocking in at two hours and 20 minutes, “Bones and All” is well paced, and Russell and Chalamet have tremendous onscreen chemistry.
Despite yourself, you may wind up conflicted as you empathise with Maren and Lee who, at the end of the day, are “good” people of conscience who are troubled by a congenital “defect”, for lack of a better word.
Food preferences aside, they are otherwise regular human beings, and viewers might loathe to relate to their feelings of love, jealousy and heartbreak. This is the strength of the film: that it stirs you into feeling sorry for characters who, for all intents and purposes, should not be felt sorry for.
All in all, “Bones and All” is an intriguing watch, though it’s clearly not for the squeamish. For fans of the genre, it might lure you to the cinema anticipating to get a kick out of gory cannibalism scenes – but you just might leave with tears in your eyes.
‘Bones and All’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.