Bodied

HOLY FUCK. This is every bit as good as I had hoped it would be. It's maybe even better. I need more films like Bodied. Battle rap has always been such an interesting subject for me and I'm amazed and disappointed that this isn't explored more, especially modern battle rap. The film's protagonist Adam serves as an excellent guide through this world. He is an outsider and offers an interesting perspective for people who might not know a lot about this culture. The other characters all have their own unique personalities that contribute to the film in their own ways. Bodied navigates what battle rap's place is in today's climate through the eyes of Adam's girlfriend Maya and his friends. In a world more conscious of political correctness, should battle rap be left in the past? Bodied deals with issues including cultural appropriation, homophobia, white privilege, sexism and racism in a very creative way. It uses rap as a tool to speak on these topics. While it is always aware, it never pulls any punches. It's offensive and it is aggressive, but it needs to be. The rap battles themselves were incredible. As a rap fan, I was 100% in. These people go fucking hard. Perhaps Bodied's biggest theme is that while rap battles give you free rein to say whatever you want, you still have to live with the consequences. Free speech is not truly free. The way Bodied tackles this issue is brilliant. What's most surprising to me is how funny this movie is. It's straight up hilarious. The jokes, and I don't just mean in the battles, mostly land for me. I was expecting it to be good, but I wasn't expecting it to be quite as comedic as it was. It's a very pleasant surprise. And also the ending is wonderful. I could go on and on about the things Bodied does right. It's lived up to and even exceeded my expectations. Do yourself a favor and watch it if you haven't already.