

Bones and All

Abandoned by her father, a young woman embarks on a thousand-mile odyssey through the backroads of America where she meets a disenfranchised drifter. But despite their best efforts, all roads lead back to their terrifying pasts and to a final stand that will determine whether their love can survive their otherness.
In the past decades, there have been numerous great road movies starring killer couples, such as "Badlands". This list now includes "Bones and All". The (somewhat supernatural) cannibalism approach adds a horror aspect to the usual formula. However, the focus lies more on the love story between the two main characters, Maren (Taylor Russell) and Lee (Timothée Chalamet). Even though much of the violence occurs off-screen, there are some gory moments. The soundscape during these scenes may still give some people nightmares.
Chalamet is, as expected, very good in his role, but Russell can easily keep up with him. There's also the cannibal Sully, a disturbing side character played convincingly by Mark Rylance. As with many other road movies, "Bones and All" delivers great acting performances as well as stunning imagery from a variety of locations. The cinematography is excellent throughout, and director Luca Guadagnino always succeeds in captivating the viewer despite the rather slow-paced narrative.
In the end, the plot is secondary. The story is easy to follow, and the rules for the supernatural cannibals in this world are simple to grasp. Most of the time, it is also clear where the journey is going and what the motivations of the main characters are. Except for a few moments, there isn't much suspense, but the journey is still fascinating until the end.