Immersing himself in the emotional construct of romanticism is nothing new for the Italian-born filmmaker, Luca Guadagnino. It’s a theme explored deeply in his early work I Am Love and the backbone of his monumental 2018 Best Picture Nominee, Call Me by Your Name. Yet, five years later, Guadagnino is making waves once again with a new love story, once that’s unconventional and comes with a bite. Adapted from Camille DeAngelis’ 2015 coming-of-age- novel of the same name, Guadagnino’s Bones and All shatters the romance-mold with a dark and mystifying twist to the classic love story.

Taylor Russell stars as Maren, a lonely young woman kept sheltered from the world from her father. But what feels like a harmless little teenage decision to sneak out at night and hang with some new classmates, quickly reveals why isolation has become a staple in Maren’s life. She’s a cannibal, not by choice but by some sort of genetic predisposition, struggling to resist the urge and temptation of human flesh. Maren feels heartbreakingly alone in this world until she crosses paths with Lee (played by Timothée Chalamet) another blood-thirsty youngster who helps her discover a hunger for love.

Bizarre, sinister, and profoundly beautiful, Bones and All is a genre-bending entry that will sadly struggle to find a mainstream audience. Director Luca Guadagnino spares no carnage as this tale of young love is forced to compete with quite a few graphic scenes. This cannibalism backdrop initially feels like a puzzling and unnecessary twist of brutality, but the film manages to humanize this dastardly element with remarkable tenderness thanks in large part to writer David Kajganich’s carefully calculated screenplay and a wide collection of exceptional performances. Oscar Winner Mark Rylance shines in his supporting role, one that seamlessly complements the film's dark tone and is completely worthy of awards season recognition. In addition, Academy Award Nominee, Timothée Chalamet, delivers another superbly-committed turn alongside his lesser-known, yet equally effective, co-star, Taylor Russell (Escape Room and Waves). Their onscreen chemistry is both essential and magnetic, transforming Bones and All into a hypnotic blend of horror and romance.

Despite the film’s uncanny ability to transcend its rare and unclassifiable genre, Bones and All trudges along with a sometimes painfully long 130-minute running time. Guadagnino decides to let his latest entry marinate with the audience, often benefiting from stellar cinematography and an abundance of artistic beauty, but occasionally tainted with gratuitous conflicts that add very little extra to the story or its character development. Still, though, Bones and All stands as a boldly original coming-of-age tale that builds earnest and sympathetic characters who engage in unthinkable, horrific acts. It’s an astonishing accomplishment that could only be achieved under the perfect set of circumstances and, thankfully, Luca Guadagnino handles them all masterfully.