The film comes from the director of this year’s much-talked-about Babygirl.
Our TV movie pick for tonight (Friday, 16 May) is Bodies Bodies Bodies, the 2022 darkly comic mystery thriller directed by Halina Reijn (Babygirl).
The film mainly centres on Bee (Maria Bakalova, Borat 2), an introverted working-class Eastern European woman, and her wealthy new girlfriend, Sophie (Amandla Stenberg, The Acolyte).
As a hurricane is about to descend, the pair ventures to a New York suburb mansion owned by the family of David (Pete Davidson, SNL), one of Sophie’s friends. This is in order to party through the storm.
Upon arriving, however, it becomes clear that there is some bad blood between Sophie and some of the other attendees at the lavish house – characters played by Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio), Lee Pace (Foundation), Myha’la Herrold (Industry) and Rachel Sennott (Bottoms).
As the group indulge in drink and drugs throughout the night, tensions between them bubble more and more to the surface.
It isn’t long before one partygoer is found dead with a blood-stained weapon nearby, and the gang is stranded in the mansion due to the hurricane.
Without power or signal, they rapidly turn on each other as they try to identify which one of them is the killer.
While marketed like a slasher horror, Bodies Bodies Bodies is really more of an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery – one that finds plenty of dark comedy out of the idea that instead of a master detective in the vein of Hercule Poirot investigating the killing, it’s six narcissistic and self-obsessed Gen Zers on the case.
As can maybe be expected, the entire group are wildly unequipped to deal with the situation. They quickly resort to using petty grievances that they have with each other as justifications for who the murderer may be – accusing each other in the process of “gaslighting”, of “triggering, toxic behaviour” and, in one particularly shocking moment, of being bad podcasters.
You could accuse the Bodies Bodies Bodies script – written by Kristen Roupenian (Cat Person) and Sarah DeLappe (The Wolves) – of being built around one big joke. But in fairness, it’s a pretty great joke.
Bodies Bodies Bodies is airing on TV tonight on BBC One at 11.30pm (except Wales). It should also be available on the BBC iPlayer after it airs.
Here are the other movies airing on TV tonight:
Mission: Impossible 2 – ITV4 – 9pm
Probably the most divisive entry in the Tom Cruise-led action spy franchise.
Bloodshot – Film4 – 9pm
Vin Diesel is the lead in this 2020 action sci-fi about a soldier who dies before being brought back to life with superpowers by an organisation that wants to use him as a weapon.
The Transporter – E4 – 9pm
Jason Statham is… the transporter. A fun action flick that launched a franchise.
The Legend of Hercules – Legend Xtra – 9pm
Cliffhanger and Die Hard 2 director Renny Harlin helms this critically panned version of the Roman legend starring Kellan Lutz (Twilight).
Highlander III: The Final Destination – Legend – 9pm
Also known as Highlander III: The Sorcerer in some parts, this poorly regarded third entry in the fantasy franchise sees Christopher Lambert reprise his role as an immortal Scottish warrior.
Eastern Promises – BBC Two – 11pm
From director David Cronenberg (A History of Violence) and writer Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) comes one of the best crime thriller movies of the 21st century.
It sees Naomi Watts play a midwife at a London hospital who discovers a diary that belonged to one of her deceased patients, which contains information that threatens the Russian Mafia. At the same time, a bodyguard and fixer (Viggo Mortensen) for the crime organisation plots to rise through its ranks.
Last Knights – Legend – 11pm
Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman star in this poorly received action drama based on the Japanese legend of the forty-seven rōnin.
The Butterfly Room – Legend Xtra – 11pm
Cult horror legend Barbara Steele stars in this 2012 chiller.
Scream (2022) – Channel 4 – 11.05pm
The very good, if confusingly titled, fifth entry in the Scream franchise starring Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega.
The Innocents – Film4 – 11.10pm
This Norwegian horror thriller, with 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, revolves around four children who become friends during the summer holidays and discover, out of the sight of adults, that they have hidden powers.
