Despite what you may have heard, BONES AND ALL is not the movie that you are expecting, and not the type of movie that we see in theatres all that often. Blessed with an incredible cast, BONES AND ALL director Luca Guadagnino attempts to tell a love story between an abandoned teenager (Taylor Russell) and a protective wanderer (Timothee Chalamet), set against the backdrop of a unique community of cannibals. Yes, cannibals.
The movie adapts an award-winning novel of the same name by author Camille DeAngelis, and is a showcase for the talents of the always compelling Chalamet as well as this fierce newcomer Russell, who started turning heads in 2019’s WAVES before holding down the horror series ESCAPE ROOM and its sequel.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the cast of Luca Guadagnino’s BONES AND ALL, opening in theatres on November 18.
Timothee Chalamet (Lee)
Lee left his family behind in Kentucky, and now makes it on his own as a vagabond, rolling from town to town in the American midwest. Timothee Chalamet infuses Lee with the mysterious quirks the actor has brought to roles in DUNE, LADY BIRD, and CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. And like in that last movie (also directed by Guadagnino), there is a tenderness to be celebrated in Lee… despite the fact that he eats human flesh.
Taylor Russell (Maren)
The Canadian actress Taylor Russell did a difficult thing in 2019’s WAVES, stepping into a story halfway through and carrying it to its conclusion with her dramatic performance. She instantly became an actor to watch, and that streak continues in BONES AND ALL. The movie keeps her cannibalism a mystery at first, as we wonder about the disease that plagues this poor girl. But as Maren wades deeper into the dark community of flesh eaters, we’re both compelled to help her… and repulsed by her actions.
Mark Rylance (Sully)
Most movies of this nature have a wild-card character, a person you aren’t sure you can trust or not. That’s Sully, played by Oscar-winning character actor Mark Rylance (BRIDGE OF SPIES). Initially, he befriends Maren early in her journey, warning her of the obstacles she’s going to encounter while living the cannibal lifestyle. Except, is he one of the obstacles, as well?
Michael Stuhlbarg (Jake)
Basically, every time that Michael Stuhlbarg shows up in a film, he makes it better. Whether he’s the lead in a contemplative Coen Brothers comedy like A SERIOUS MAN, or stealing scenes in THE SHAPE OF WATER and SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS, Stuhlbarg has that ability to capture the audience’s attention and hold it. And that’s what he manages with his limited screen time in BONES AND ALL, playing another drifter who arrives during an important time in Maren’s journey, with advice she won’t be able to shake.
Chloe Sevigny (Janelle Kearns)
Sevigny takes chances as an actress, circumventing parts in mainstream fare for a career built on astonishing independent features such as BEATRIZ AT DINNER, LIZZIE and THE BROWN BUNNY. Her part in BONES AND ALL is shocking. It’s also pivotal to the formation of Maren as a character. But she gets only one scene, and I guarantee you will not forget it.
Andre Holland (Frank Yearly)
Perhaps the most difficult role in all of BONES AND ALL, Andre Holland plays Frank, Maren’s father, who can’t comprehend why his daughter is the way that she is. Holland is haunting and powerless as a dad wanting to protect his daughter, but also realizing that his child is harmful, and there might not be anything he can do for her. Holland gives a lot of his performance through his voice on a tape recorder he has left for Maren, and even just with the vocals, he conveys all of the emotions that BONES AND ALL needs.
Luca Guadagnino’s BONES AND ALL walks the line between romance and horror, with touching and terrifying moments waiting for its audience. Grab your tickets now, and see BONES AT ALL at AMC Theatres beginning on November 18.
BONES AND ALL
