Halloween may be over, but that doesn’t mean our craving for all things horror is; Netflix knows this, and released “The Body” on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
A psychological drama and horror series, “The Body” follows the St. Mark’s Lions, in need of a new member of their dance team after one suffered an injury. Come All Hallows Eve of 2004, they have their new member facing her initiation, but something goes wrong. Is she dead? Was the initiation drug really pure? “The Body” is a confusing show full of manipulation, sexual confusion and of course, a hefty dose of religious guilt, which helps to inform our characters’ decisions.
High school is, for many, a peak in our lives. We really only have classes and drama among friends to worry about. But the St. Mark’s Lions might disagree. Captains Anya and Elise, played by Kristina Bogic and Sara Boustany, have to figure out how to calm the team after an initiation gone wrong.
Little does Elise know, Anya has a little birdie on her shoulder named Lisbeth. Lisbeth, played by Geena Meszaros, is a senior who tried out for the team but initially didn’t make it. After helping Anya cheat on a test, she’s invited to the initiation to drink with them, then finds Grace’s, played by Sofia Wylie, convulsing body with Anya. On the way to the hospital, Grace stops breathing, so they decide to drop her off at her house and not tell anyone about it. Elise, despite being Anya’s best friend, becomes more and more distant, while Lisbeth gets closer and more manipulative, despite Anya having constant anxiety attacks.
Created by Quinn Shephard, “The Body” draws inspiration from classic movies and books like “Carrie” and “Jennifer’s Body,” with the hysteria level of “The Crucible.” In “Carrie” we see a similar religious tone, and in “Jennifer’s Body,” we see similar sexually confused characters. In the first few episodes, Anya can be seen expressing sexual confusion and frustration, because she’s doing what she knows she’s supposed to do, but she wants to do something else. However, all three of these movies share at least one trait: female rage. Jennifer getting back at men after being sacrificed, Carrie getting revenge on those who bullied her and in “The Body,” we see it on the whole team. This can be seen consistently as the girls yell at each other and others, not just to be heard, but because they’re angry and stressed because of Grace’s coma.
I am all for some drama, but when it comes to visions, drugs and alcohol, maybe it’s just too much, because at a certain point, “The Body” got to be confusing. At the initiation, Grace is forced to take ecstasy, also known as MDMA, and she was also drinking while there. After she took the drugs as a prank, the rest of the team asked Satan to “take this virgin sacrifice,” and she ended up in a coma after dying for a short period of time. But while in the coma, all of the girls on the dance team had visions of Grace. Now, it could be that they don’t want to be left out of what’s going on with the other girls, but it could also be that something is actually going on. Whatever it is, it’s a lot to keep up with along with the regular drama occurring in the show.
To wrap it up, I think this is a great, fairly convoluted series so far that could be enjoyed by anyone. Shephard does a great job making sure it sticks to the initial plot with the Catholic dance team without being disrespectful towards Catholicism. While I’m not usually a fan of short series like this, I would watch it again as well as recommend it to others. There are moments that left me confused. However, this could simply be because I don’t have much knowledge on Catholicism. It’s a great show if you’re looking for something not too scary, but maybe to rattle you for a few hours.
Rating: 4/5
