Kumari Shreya
Directed by Halina Reijn, ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ is a black comedy slasher film that revolves around a group of 7 friends during a house party. Sophie and David host the event, and all seven come from different backgrounds. Bee has been invited to the party as Sophia’s girlfriend but is warned by Jordan, another group member, that there might be more to Sophie than Bee realizes. To break the awkward air, the friends decide to play games and ultimately end up playing bodies bodies bodies, a game that involves fake murder when the lights are turned off. However, when someone ends up dead, the stakes become much higher.
Starring Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold, and Pete Davidson, the movie is a hilariously thrilling story that is bound to keep you on the edge of your seats. With a humorous situation turning morbid, an innocent game suddenly becomes the central point of attraction. Naturally, many are curious to know if the said party game exists in real life or if it was created especially for the movie. Well, we are here to explore the same!
Body Body is the Real-life Version With Slight Variations
Yes, Bodies Bodies Bodies is a real game. The more commonly known name is Body Body, and it has slight variations compared to how it is portrayed in ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies.’ However, the basic premise and rules of the game remain the same. The party game is best played in a large group, and the cast of the movie themselves tried their hand at it and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Amandla Stenberg expressed her delight in playing the game and crowned Maria Bakalova as the best among all the cast members while she declared herself the worst. Myha’la Herrold further expanded upon what made Bakalova such a pro. “The reason we say that she is the best is because we did all play when we first met and were going around being like, ‘You’re the one. You’re the one! No, I’m not the one,’ and defending ourselves, and Maria was dead silent the entire time. And finally, some of us got so worked up, nearly to tears, and I was like, ‘Hold on. Maria hasn’t said a word,’” Herrold told Collider.
Another reason why the game might seem familiar to the viewers might be due to its similarity with the popular online game Among Us. The video game can be played in a group of 4 to 15 people. Each player has their own avatar and has to complete the tasks about the particular map as a crewmate. However, at the start of every round, the game selects a pre-determined number of impostors. Each impostor can kill the crewmates and must reduce the crew to the number of living impostors before completing all the tasks. If a crewmate finds a dead body, they can report it, and the remaining members can decide and vote out the most probable killer. If all the impostors are voted out, then the crewmates win the game.
How to Play Bodies Bodies Bodies?
Playing Bodies Bodies Bodies, or Body Body, is admittedly best played in a group of seven or more, depending upon the number of killers in each round. In order to assign the players their roles, the most common method is to use a deck of cards that are laid face down in the center of a room. Depending upon the number of players and impostors, some card values are assigned as killer cards. For example, in a group of 13 players, someone who picks up the King and Queen card will be the killer.
At the start of each round, players must pick a card without showing anyone else what their card really is. In ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies,’ the characters instead decide to use pieces of paper. The ones who pick blanks are innocent, while the person with an X on their paper is the murderer. An additional person must remain by the light switch at all times to turn it on and off when required. After the roles are assigned, the players gather together and keep their cards hidden.
When the lights are turned off, the players must crawl around and try to maintain as much distance from others as possible. Meanwhile, the killer has to crawl around and “kill” others by putting their hands around another player’s neck or touching them at a pre-determined place. In the version played in the Halina Reijn directorial, the “killing” takes place when the murderer touches a player’s back. The “dead” player must remain still in their position and act like a corpse.
If an innocent player comes across a “dead” body, they can call attention to it by calling out “Bodies Bodies Bodies” or any other pre-determined phrase. As soon as someone yells about their discovery, the person beside the light switch must immediately turn on the light. The remaining players must discuss and vote out a person who they think the murderer is. If they vote correctly, the ejected killer must declare that they were indeed a murderer by saying “You got me!” or a similar phrase. If the person voted out is innocent, then they must also inform the remaining players about the same by saying something along the lines of “It wasn’t me!” The voted innocent players are deemed dead.
The game continues until everyone is dead or the killers are voted out. Players need to employ several mental skills to claim victory. For a killer, it is crucial to be stealthy and be able to lie when needed. Meanwhile, the innocent players must pay close attention to everything they have seen and heard in order to correctly catch the criminals.
Read More: Where Was Bodies Bodies Bodies Filmed?
