Netflix’s latest psychological thriller has received the thumbs up from critics.
On Wednesday morning, a new series titled The Body premiered on the streaming platform, centring around the aftermath of a sinister initiation gone wrong at a Catholic girls school in the mid-2000s, where students experience supernatural goings on.
Written and directed by Quinn Shepherd, the dark eight-parter has already been compared to the likes of Yellowjackets, Carrie and a Y2K take on The Crucible, and labelled ideal binge-viewing by critics, even in reviews that took issue with certain parts of the show.
Here’s a quick guide to what critics are saying about The Body so far…
“Set at a Catholic high school somewhere in the Northeast, The Body is a raunchy, campy show about friendship, desire, identity and belief systems […] With its layered themes, The Body stands as a distinct entry among TV’s many teen-oriented offerings. Yet it’s the show’s grasp of the particularities of female friendship, gossip, herd mentality and manipulation (in a very similar vein to religion) that makes it so clever and fun.”
“The Body’s attention to nostalgic, early 2000s details is also one of the show’s biggest blessings. AIM chatrooms and killer needle drops abound. Plus, the show’s title cards are gloriously bedazzled, Juicy-style.
“Between these elements and a throbbing choral soundtrack, there’s a transgressive fun to The Body’s aesthetic, and to the series as a whole. Atmospheric, unsettling, and amusing in equal parts, The Body is nothing short of a devilishly good time.”
“Set in the aughts and dripping with Juicy Couture apparel, low-waisted jeans, and a bedazzled title card, The Body feels like a Zillennial take on The Devils, only gayer and with a peripheral interest in men.
“There’s less horror than promised, but man does it deliver memorable mean girls, dreamy dance routines, and AIM drama. The Body is, above all, a really good time.”
“Netflix knew exactly what they were doing with this one. Because their new series The Body is completely, unapologetically right up my alley.
“Sapphic horror? Yes, please. Competitive dance crew drama? Give it to me. All-girls school shenanigans? Absolutely. There is such a relentless thirst and cultural appetite for this genre right now and The Body gets it so right.”
“The Body is like nothing else on television, in both good and frustrating ways.
“With tighter plotting, it could have been the year’s best new show; as it is, it’s more like Buffy on psychedelic drugs or a CW adaptation of The Virgin Suicides (complimentary).
“But its riskiness and rawness will appeal to anyone who’s sick of formulaic TV thrillers – or anyone who just remembers the glory and horror of being a teenage girl.”
“Being campy and raunchy can only take a TV show so far. The Body is undeniably a hot mess, but it’s a campy, entertaining hot mess with plenty of steamy sapphic scenes. As such, I foresee this becoming a cult classic, similar to But I’m A Cheerleader or Jennifer’s Body.”
“A sinfully fun teen drama […] The Body [is] what happens when you mix all the messy goodness of a teen drama with just enough mystery, some fun early 2000s throwbacks, and what I’ll go ahead and call fluid amounts of religious dogma.
“It’s a little bit Mean Girls […] with a hefty helping of mass hysteria started and perpetuated by the teen girl hive mind. And, although the series doesn’t really live in the horror genre, there are, nevertheless, some really fun shots and more than a few situations where it feels like maybe, just maybe, something spooky could be waiting just around the corner.”
“[The show’s shortcomings are] not for lack of effort on the part of the cast.
“[Kristina] Bogic and [Sara] Boustany share a beguiling chemistry as thick-as-thieves besties who might be more if they could ever shake off the terror of being queer in a culture that considers it a grotesque perversion. Jackson Kelly gives a touching performance as Lisbeth’s little brother Leo, [and while] Gabby Windey [is] essentially in a glorified cameo as the Lions’ indifferent and ineffectual coach Shauna, her kooky charm is welcome all the same. It’s the writing that comes up short.
“Despite its luxurious run time, The Body struggles to flesh out its ensemble beyond their most basic narrative and thematic functions. The result is characters who are legible enough to understand, even for noncommittal second-screeners, but not quite interesting enough to love.”
The Body is now streaming on Netflix.
