Rachel Sennott Is Better At Acting Than You
Let's look at some of the best performances of the year, including the star of Bodies Bodies Bodies.
The thing about having your own newsletter is that you can do whatever you want.
I can write about anything right now (within reason), and you and Substack and the lord almighty can’t stop me. I’m saying this because I wanted to write about Rachel Sennott and I was thinking … is this too obscure?
Four people I know have seen her new film Bodies Bodies Bodies and those are the four that I booked tickets for.
Anyway, I don’t care. If you’re reading this, it’s too late. I’ve written about Sennott, the icon and eventual Oscar winner.
And that’s that.
Bodies Bodies Bodies, a zillenial gore-fest mixture of Clue and Scream, is a pretty good movie and an enjoyable time at the theaters. It stars Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, Pete Davidson and Lee Pace, and it feels like the cinematic version of “Among Us.”
Although a bit on the nose, the jokes land and it’s worth seeing in a theater. Especially one that’s air-conditioned as we try to survive yet another heat wave.
Sennott, in particular, is the standout playing a dim-witted party girl on her last brain cell after a binge of alcohol and hard drugs. Her character, Alice, brought her new Tinder hook-up (Lee Pace) along for some mansion debauchery and the two steal every scene they’re in.
A lesser actor wouldn’t have been able to find the comedy that Sennott does, as she chews scenery without ever going so over-the-top so as to seem outlandish. She walks a tightrope and does so with aplomb.
Sennott is 2/2 in my book after last year’s pitch-perfect hor-com Shiva Baby, which, if you haven’t seen it, is every family function you’ve ever been to fused into 77 minutes. Her next movie is Bottoms, a film she’s working on with Shiva Baby director and frequent collaborator Emma Seligman. The synopsis is “Two unpopular queer high school students start a fight club to have sex before graduation,” because of course, it is.
As an insane person that tries to keep up with all of the year’s movies, I’ve already started to put together my list of what I think are the best performances of 2022. Yes, there’s plenty of time left, but it’s never too early for an initial list/ranking of things.
The following is where I’m at in the acting races, in no particular order. Oh, also, since The Worst Person in the World was part of last year’s award season, I’m skipping it here.
This is a blog/newsletter/whatever, so to make some content, I’m going to pick one person from each category and tell you why they’re great. I could honestly write about all 20 people here, but I don’t have that much time to write and you don’t have that much time to read.
Antonio Banderas in Official Competition
This movie has gone so under the radar. It’s ridiculous. This send-up of capital-a ACTING and the annual awards hubbub is one of the best comedies of the year and truly works because of Banderas’s commitment to his renowned fictional actor of Félix Rivero. The Spanish movie is both ridiculous and a straightforward satire. Banderas is perfect in it.
Anamaria Vartolomei in Happening
I’ve written about this one a bit already, but Happening is a poignant and sometimes hard-to-watch story about a woman seeking an abortion in 1960s France. The movie doesn’t work without Anamaria Vartolomei who’s able to play exhausted, stressed and terrified while also trying to keep her emotions inside at all times. I saw this one at home through a film festival link but think it should be seen on a big screen for maximum impact. It’s a critical story.
Steven Yeun in Nope
Steven Yeun is on quite a run here. Once a lead on The Walking Dead, Yeun has quickly become an indie darling and bankable lead. He was Oscar-nominated last year for Minari (a great movie) and will be in Bong Joon-Ho’s upcoming sci-fi Mickey7. Also, check out Burning and Okja if you have a chance; Yeun is stellar in both. I’ve written glowingly about Nope already and it only grows in my estimation since seeing it a second time. Although not the main protagonist, Yeun’s character of Ricky 'Jupe' Park is the key to unlocking Jordan Peele’s film.
Isabella Rossellini in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
In perhaps the polar-opposite performance from Rachel Sennott, Isabella Rossellini is equally scene-stealing with only her voice. I’ve written about this lovely animated film a while back, but Rossellini deserves more kudos for her role as Nana Connie, a performance she fills with tenderness despite the seemingly ridiculous plot machinations. Voice acting doesn’t usually take home major accolades, but awards are stupid most of the time. She should win the Oscar just for her reenaction of the 60 Minutes clock ticking.