Bones and All as a Modern Day Near Dark - Davis Moubry

 Bones and All as a Modern Day Near Dark

Davis Moubry

While viewing Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark, the imagery and connection between characters immediately reminded me of Luca Guadagnino’s 2022 film Bones and All. The film, starring Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell, explores the complex relationship between their two characters as they navigate the world as cannibals. Similar to the vampires in Near Dark, Chalamet and Russell’s characters, Lee and Maren, become rejected by society as their urges to feed can no longer be satisfied by ethical means. They become nomadic individuals, eventually traveling and feeding as a team, leading to a love and bond between them. Because of the imagery, or lack thereof, of modern-day luxuries or commodities, both films, but especially Bones and All, establish a timeless and almost loss-of-time period feel. Because of this stylistic choice, it seems as though these two films, released about 40 years apart, could exist within the same time and realm. In addition to the timeless feel of both films, the allusions to punk style, and showcasing outcasts of society, tie these two together in a way that highlights the techniques of blending genres through film, especially horror and romance. 

The use of this punk and nomadic imagery in both films allows us to approach the supernatural, or in the case of cannibalism, unsettling, lifestyles that the characters must live in order to survive. Because the idea of “punk” stems from an appreciation for counter-cultural narratives and outcasts from society, implicating this aesthetic into films about people living alternative lifestyles is fitting. We can see the implications of this punk imagery in both films through the clothing, attitude, and mentality of the characters. All the vampires or cannibals wear tattered, yet stylish, clothing with stains of blood and marks of their past crimes in order to show their position within society visually. They are shown in this same wardrobe throughout both films, emphasizing their ostracization from society and up-to-date fashion movements, or lack of care towards these movements. In Bones and All, the female protagonist is left on her own after her father refuses to feed her cannibalistic cravings any longer, leaving her to fend for herself in the world. Together with Chalamet’s character, they fully embrace the non-conformist nature present within the societal rejection motifs of punk. Similarly, Mae and her gang of vampires immediately leave their families in order to spend their time fulfilling their cravings for blood. Through this societal rejection, they are able to form their own sort of family within themselves, reinforced by similar lived experiences and knowledge of a niche lifestyle. 

One of the largest similarities between the films is the focus on love and partnership within their dramatic circumstances. While Mae and Caleb find love in these circumstances, so do the two protagonists of Bones and All. However, the fate of these two partnerships ended in a very different way. While Caleb is able to cure Mae of her “sickness” after Caleb saves himself, the same cannot be said for Lee and Maren. (Spoiler Alert) After a fight with a third person, Lee is very injured, and it appears as though he may not make it. Because of the intense commitment the two made to each other earlier in the film, Maren urges Lee to let her take him to a hospital, but Lee refuses and encourages Maren to eat him, “bones and all.” While Bones and All does not have the “happy” ending that we see in Near Dark, it allows us to explore the complicated relationship that these outcasts from society develop. While Lee does die, he allows Maren to use his body to nourish her and fulfill her craving. This is seen in Bigelow’s film as Mae allows Caleb to feed from her when he is unable to make a kill; however, Bones and All takes this extreme to the next level. 

Overall, Bones and All and Near Dark, explore the relationships and lifestyles of those ostracized from society because of factors beyond their control. In blending the horror and romance genres, the characters are able to develop deep relationships through shared experiences and goals, and audiences are able to see how supernatural or unconventional lifestyles affect these relationships; for the good or bad.