#REVIEW: “BODY CAM”

Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

Cop Thriller/Drama Body Cam is a pretty standard entry into the genre, elevated by some supernatural powers and a fantastic performance. During these unprecedented times, sometimes watching something unexpected and truly out of this world allows us to escape for a few minutes from the mundaneness of everyday life. Body Cam packs the heat in terms of some truly gruesome violence along with its 92-minute run time allows things to run their course while keeping the audience entertained and engaged.

The Movie starts off with Renee’s (Mary J. Blige) colleague, Ganning (Ian Casselberry) as he is performing a routine traffic stop, that is until something unexpected happens. Renee and her partner Danny (Nat Wolff), investigate what happened to Ganning and that’s when they start to realize there are more pieces to the puzzle when they discover his grizzly corpse. As the Movie progresses, the pieces finally start to fall in place about why these supernatural occurrences are happening, who’s behind them, and the motivation behind the targets. Body Cam packs a punch when it comes to delivering action, and with the disturbing puzzle complete makes for an impactful statement.

Even though the Movie feels relatively standard, it is the performance from Blige that truly carries the Film. She delivers a fantastic performance that elevates the Film as a whole with raw emotion, conviction, and drive throughout her performance. Nat Wolff is also pretty good as the rookie cop, who just wants to be taken seriously, especially by his partner who is a more veteran officer and wants to make sure he’s not permanently labelled as the rookie, but there is clearly something shaking him to his core. With both of their performances, the story is elevated beyond just a Supernatural Cop Thriller.

Director Malik Vitthal captures the right elements to keep this supernatural thriller grounded while giving it the ambiance the movie needs to excel. However, Screenwriters Nicholas McCarthy and Richmond Riedel leave a few things unexplained and left gaps  unexplained. Moreover, with the gore and bizarre activities that happen throughout the Movie, it still delivers an enjoyable final product.

Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment BODY CAM on digital platforms Tuesday, May 19, 2020.