Body Odyssey

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Iaroslav D First and foremost, in the time when Hollywood has shown a severe inability to not only produce a NEW story but even to recycle the good old one that’s been around forever, we ran into something overwhelmingly fresh and unique. The project that didn’t have much of a budget or known actors tells a one-of-a-kind, easy-to-follow, incredibly gripping story and creates its own small but understandable world. It's fair to say that the director’s approach to the visual part, combined with the unhesitant stance on the plot delivery, makes you feel like this movie not only sets up its distinguished decorations but also creates its own genre, so let’s put things in order. Meet the main character Mona - a professional bodybuilder who is obsessed with perfectionism in her field of expertise. She is getting ready to participate in the Ms. Body Universe. Her fitness routine is merciless, her diet is strict, her gym weights are truly gigantic and she uses a series of steroid injections to help her achieve even better results. Mona's whole life is dictated by the efforts to prepare for the contest and curated by her personal coach, Kurt, who fanatically dedicates his existence to the only goal - Mona’s career success. Director Grazia Tricarico excellently applies the color scheme and environment in the picture to draw a better understanding of Mona’s and Kurt’s perception of the reality, which quite differs from that of the people unfamiliar with the world of professional bodybuilding. And this is exactly one of the strongest aspects of the picture, allowing it to deliver unappealing or sometimes disturbing images and developments, which, placed in the right perspective, instead of being repulsive, on the contrary, harmonically build a better understanding of characters’ dislocated moral values. The world created in the movie uses Mona’s views and feelings as its core. She is extremely popular in the bodybuilding chemosphere, where her accomplishments are understood, envied, and respected, which does not necessarily match the mood of the general public. Unlike the typical approach when the character is having a hard time fitting into society, the film turns this concept inside out by using Mona's way of life as an established impenetrable reality that the society has no other choice than to accommodate on the woman's terms. But not everything is as calm in Mona’s kingdom as she wishes. Right before the final part of the preparation for the competition, she receives upsetting news that her body is so exhausted by the 8 years of constant steroid injections that if she doesn’t stop, she might lose her feminine functions. This puts the heroine in front of an extremely unpleasant choice but considering the perspective of the biggest achievement in her lifetime, Mona decides to continue with injections. At the same time, there is a new type of steroid on the market that is even stronger, and Kurt, her trainer, aims to convince women to take it in order to secure the victory in the Ms. Body Universe. After a lifetime of training, Mona learned to understand and listen to the needs of her own body and to its inner voice that never failed her before but this time things unfolded differently. In addition to her already overwhelming situation, she runs into a perfect young stranger in the gym that she falls in love with. With all the stress and impact from the current supplement, Mona’s health starts to collapse on the spot. Kurt uses this opportunity to force her into switching to new, more powerful steroids. And that’s the moment when the inner voice of her body, of the actual carcass of muscles that she was building all her life, gains an independent consciousness, becoming the separate, demanding personality inside Mona’s head. While new steroids temporarily put the woman back on her feet, everything else in Mona’s world becomes unfamiliar and fragile - the inner voice inside her head gets louder, Kurt intensifies her training, her attraction to the young, mysterious lover becomes overwhelming, but he stops showing up to their rendezvous, and Mona’s connection with the reality begins to dissolve. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/22/25 Full Review B P Body Odyssey is a stunning sensory experience that channels the vibes of the late Cronenberg into something exciting, bizarre, and gorgeous to behold. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/25/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Body Odyssey

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