The ‘coming-of-age’ genre has an everlasting place in pop culture. Movies that manage to capture the simultaneous uneasiness and beauty in growing up will always hold a special place in my heart.
In our humble opinion, no actor’s given more to the genre in recent years than the Timothée Chalamet. From his role as the ever-so-dreamy Kyle in Lady Bird and the lovesick Theodore in Little Women to Elio in Call Me By Your Name, he truly has the chops to capture the yearning and melancholy of adolescence and beyond.
Now, he’s teamed up with Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino again for another addition to the coming-of-age canon — Bones And All.
The movie follows Lee (Timmy) and Maren (Taylor Russell), two outsiders who find each other as they seek to make sense of their ‘condition’ — cannibalism. It’s a road trip movie set to the backdrop of stunning, warm shots of regional USA in the 80s, soundtracked no-makeup KISS, New Order and more. It’s cinematic, bittersweet, and of course, nail-bitingly tense all at once.
The movie has already scooped up a considerable amount of acclaim at international film festivals and awards, and it’s easy to see why — it manages to deal with a crazy concept like cannibalism with tenderness, positioning it at the heart of a love story.
It perfectly plays on the familiar forbidden-lovers trope
Star-crossed lovers have been a part of pop culture since the dawn of time (give or take). Tragic love is a theme we’re all familiar with, and Bones And All‘s take on it is fresh.
Maren’s character spends her entire childhood oblivious to her condition. Her father tries his hardest to shelter her from the perils she’s caused, and on her 18th birthday, leaves her with nothing but a tape explaining what he’s borne witness to throughout her growing up (including the mauling of a babysitter).
Seeing Maren and Lee fall in love during the process of them both understanding why and how they’re outsiders to the world (and whether they’ll ever get a shot at fitting in) is truly special. There’s a particularly beautiful-yet-tongue-in-cheek scene of the two holding hands as they sit in the crevices of a cosily-lit cow slaughterhouse — which should give you a picture of the vibe the whole movie gives.
There is no real happy ever after
This isn’t exactly your high school graduation, going away to college, moving towns kind of rodeo. It’s sad. Like really sad.
Every point of this movie serves you with something candy-coated and joyful — whether it’s a classic fairy-lit state fair (with an adorable ferris wheel kissing scene) or a Fourth of July lakeside barbeque — and comes in and crushes you with a hefty dose of fear and anxiety.
The score is beautiful yet totally anxiety-inducing
It would be criminal to speak about this movie without its incredible score. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross‘ tense string work and pulsating synths give the movie a real edge. It often juxtaposes with the gorgeous, luscious green backdrops the pair are seen driving down and comes in to really bite when things get dicey.
It’d also be heinous not to mention what a star in the making Taylor Russell is. Her performance is on-point and straight-up captivating — you’ll hardly be able to take your eyes off her throughout the film.
If you’re a fan of Timmy, coming-of-age tales and gorgeous cinematography, Bones And All will likely satiate (no pun intended) all your needs. You can suss the trailer here and catch the flick when it drops in cinemas on November 24th.
