INTERVIEW: Amandla Stenberg’s ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Shows Gen Z Through A Satirical Lens
Amandla Stenberg is starring in their latest A24 film Bodies Bodies Bodies, a new satirical horror-comedy film they say explores the “complicated” mind of Gen Z culture with a twist of humor.
The story follows friends in their 20s who feel they are the target of a serial killer following an accidental death at a hurricane party. Inspired by a story created by Kristen Roupenian, an author, the movie is written by Sarah DeLappe and directed by Halina Reijn. The 23-year-old actor stars in the film alongside Pete Davidson, Myha'la Herrold, Rachel Sennotte, Maria Bakalova, Chase Sui Wonders, and Lee Grace.
Stenberg plays a character named Sophie, who they describe as “someone who is young, learning and has impulsive tendencies,” and spoke to BET.com about their experience as a young LGBT+ activist, and how they felt close to their character in the movie.
“I believe this is the first time I got to play an LGBTQ character as an LGBTQ person myself,” Stenberg says; they publicly came out back in 2018 and uses they/them pronouns. “That was a huge reason why I wanted to do the part. I was so ecstatic to finally portray myself authentically and that part of my identity authentically. It was really gratifying to be able to explore these core dynamics.”
The film also pokes fun at influencer culture and society's views of Generation Z by using words like "triggered", "gaslight", and "toxic" in its discussion, as well as the ever-so-popular dances from Tik Tok.
Generation Z, also known as Zoomers, is a term to describe those who’ve been born between 1997 and 2012, according to Pew Research Center. Gen Z is known for their strong presence on social media platforms while starting hilarious trends and “memes” to cope with stressful events.
“We download and process information so quickly that we don't actually really engage with it on a deep level,” the actress says. “The result is that we have these vapid relationships or we engage with that discussion on a surface level or we don't actually research or interrogate things deeply. That can be really dangerous and can give birth to a culture full of judgment.”
The 2019 NAACP Award recipient is known for their activism for Black and LGBT+ communities ever since they were 12 years old.
“I think the way society views Gen Z culture tends to be somewhat condescending, minimizing the intelligence and the sophistication and the complicated sort of interpersonal interactions that people are having in this generation,” they add.
Stenberg says that Bodies Bodies Bodies explores the themes of relationships, friendships, and the struggle of navigating through life in early adulthood.
“We do it with humor, because the thing about our generation is they're also so hilarious, and we cope with everything through humor.”
Bodies Bodies Bodies is out now in theaters! Watch the trailer below:
