Right now, fans of erotic thrillers undoubtedly haveHalina Reijnon the mind, with the director’s sexually-charged feature,Babygirltaking cinemas by storm. But before the filmmaker brought audiences the spicy and sensualNicole KidmanandHarris Dickinson-led flick, she delivered a comedic and of-the-time horror movie. It’s been three years sinceBodies Bodies Bodiesfirst sliced its way into theaters, and the Certified Fresh 86%Rotten Tomatoesfeature continues to find new audiences. The movie centers around a group of friends who, during a hurricane, meet up at the empty mansion owned by one of the friends’ parents. As the night wears on, the cracks in their friendship begin to show, but things really go off the rails when they all take part in a whodunnit murder game calledBodies Bodies Bodies.
The feature was the second that actressMaria Bakalovadid following her major breakthrough in 2020’sBorat Subsequent Moviefilmand, during a recent conversation withPerri NemiroffforCollider Ladies Night, the Academy Award-nominated performer shared some of her fond memories about filming the one-of-a-kind feature.
For starters,The Apprenticestar shared the importance of Reijn’s background in acting and how she uses that to inform and inspire her performers. UsingBabygirlas an example, Bakalova said:
“You see that she is such a great director that she can take so many unseen things from an actor. Even Nicole Kidman is such a marvelous actress, we’ve seen her in so many different things, andHalina has managed to pull something so unique out of her, and that’s because she has this acting mentality in her bones. She’s coming from acting and she knows how to work with actors very well.”
The Chemistry Behind ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’
On top of the director’s intimate knowledge of the craft, Bakalova said there couldn’t have been a better lineup of actors cast for the film. The actress explained how the main ensemble began meeting and working on the project before cameras picked up, adding:
“So with us, she also picked a variety of actors that are very dedicated. They care about their craft. All of us, likeMyha’la,Amandla[Stenberg], andRachel[Sennott] andChase[Sui Wonders],Pete[Davidson],Lee[Pace], all of us were getting together and we were working on the script even before starting shooting and giving suggestions and ideas of how we can do this better. Even though we had a great script, how could we elevate it to a point of making itmore relatable, more specific, more generation defying,and Halina is open for that… It’s like a tennis match. You give each other something and bounce that. Amandla is exceptional, as well. So, it’s been a great group of people.”
If you have yet to jump on theBodies Bodies Bodiesbandwagon, the A24 flick is now available to rent on Prime Video. You can watch Bakalova’s full episode ofCollider Ladies Nightbelow.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly in this fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong.
