Body Odyssey – Movie Review | Fantastic Fest (4/5)

BODY ODYSSEY is a body thriller with a dark horror streak. You cannot take your eyes off of the lead character. I certainly couldn’t! A fascinating and gorgeously stylized movie. Read our full Body Odyssey movie review here!

BODY ODYSSEY is screening at Fantastic Fest 2024. This new thriller has a story so dark that it could just as easily be called “body horror”. Though there is a lot of fascination in this movie as well as horror.

The lead character, Mona, is brilliantly portrayed by Jacqueline Fuchs. The entire movie is extremely stylized and the story is fascinating. There’s both the physical and mental side to the struggles we get to witness.

Continue reading our Body Odyssey movie review below.

Witness the dark side of bodybuilding

In Body Odyssey, we meet Mona (Jacqueline Fuchs) and from the second she appears on the screen, I am absolutely mesmerized and fascinated. Mona is a bodybuilder in her forties, who is getting ready for a huge competition.

She is consumed by the pursuit of a perfect physique. Well, the perfect physique in the world of bodybuilding. Not only does she focus on this goal every second of every day, but she also has a coach who watches her every move.

The coach is portrayed by Julian Sands (The Last Breath) in one of his final performances. He does an excellent job and comes across as someone, who is almost diabolic. Yet at the same time, it seems to be what Mona needs.

Even when he starts pushing her to take “supplements” she hasn’t used previously. It’s a battle of wills and yet, it feels like we all know how it will end.

Body Horror or Body Power?!

Mona is a fierce woman – and Jacqueline Fuchs portrays her with so much heart and nerve. She is driven by the power of her body but also struggles with it.

We hear her stomach growling as she fasts to ensure every muscle shows as perfectly as possible.

Also, we hear her talking to her body like they are two separate entities required to work together towards this common goal. And before Body Odyssey is over, her body also starts answering her in a deep rumble of a voice.

One thing is controlling your body, another is trying to battle your innermost desires. Whether food or lust, Mona struggles much more with this.

Body Odyssey screened at Fantastic Fest 2024

The director and co-writer of Body Odyssey is Grazia Tricarico. She previously made the short film Mona Blonde which also starred Jacqueline Fuchs. The two clearly get the best out of one another. This movie is an obvious example of this.

Also, it’s so very fascinating. Seeing an actual real-life bodybuilder in a movie that is very much about the darkest corners of bodybuilding is amazing. Several other bodybuilders participate as well.

This isn’t a critique of the world of bodybuilding but rather a very direct and honest look at it. Showing what happens to people who push themselves further than what seems possible – all while denying themselves basic sustenance.

Please, do yourself a favor and make sure you watch it when you get the chance!

Body Odyssey is reviewed as part of our Fantastic Fest 2024 coverage.

Details

Director: Grazia Tricarico
Writers: Marco Morana, Giulio Rizzo, Grazia Tricarico
Stars: Jacqueline Fuchs, Julian Sands, Adam Misík, Tim Pritchett, Stefan Sauk, Lukas Loughran, Hanna Ullerstam