By Lukas Prominski

     Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All” is one of the most thrilling movies I’ve ever seen. For a movie about cannibals on the run and shockingly little action, the intense moments that it does have are extremely well done.

     The film stars Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell as the story’s lead protagonists. It opens with Russell’s character Maren sneaking out to hang out with friends, only to bite off the hand of one of the girls she’s with. 

     Soon after, her father leaves her to fend for herself, citing the fact that he can’t deal with “whatever problem she’s got,” while handing her an address to find her mother, which leaves her in an unfortunate spot, unable to provide for herself and find friends.

     Eventually, she meets actor Chalamet’s character Lee, another cannibal who is also, coincidentally, on the run with no friends or family. The two hit it off immediately, starting a long road trip for Maren to find her long-lost mother. 

     They encounter several other characters on the way, but, staying spoiler-free, none pose any actual importance to the plot other than her mother.

     The acting performances from the two leads are phenomenal. Chalamet plays a very stone-cold teenager, hardened by the world around him. It’s a nice contrast from the normal characters he plays, like the lead in “Wonka” or the laid-back “cool kid” in “Lady Bird.” Despite this, he plays the part well. 

     Russell’s character, on the other hand, hasn’t had the same amount of experience as Chalamet’s, and the dynamic is both written and directed very well.

     The romance that blossoms between the two characters is great as well. Guadagnino’s directing really portrays how they feel about each other, despite the fact that there isn’t a ton of dialogue in the film.

     The cannibalism in the film is also really well done. The gore, while very realistic and graphic, provides an emotional reaction from the viewer.

     Not only that, but the cannibalism in the film as a whole is up to interpretation. Obviously, there’s the interpretation that what happens in the film is real, but the cannibalism could also be a metaphor for anything from love to desire.

     Ultimately, Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All” is a great watch. Chalamet’s and Russell’s performances are great, the writing is phenomenal and the metaphors that arise from the premise of the film are very well done as a whole.