I usually steer clear of horror films that aren't thrillers and mystery but I like Mary J Blige and was hoping that this would do her justice. Unfortunately due to the current mood of the world, stories about police officers are probably not wanted and needed. So I will leave this up you if you want to watch this film. If you like the genre I'd say this was worth a watch.
Previously published on Vulturehound HERE.
When one of their fellow police officers is killed in an unusual and horrific way, Officer Renee Lomito-Smith (Mary J Blige) and her new rookie partner delve deeper into the incident and find some disturbing evidence linking to a cover up of police actions.
The line between cinematic and theatrical horror involving supernatural entities can be terrifying in itself but when it’s there to mask the real horror that we would hear about in the news or even worse, witness is far more terrifying. The everyday horror that you would be shocked by and believe it at the same time is unsettling which is what ‘Body Cam’ evokes, especially with the what is happening in the news currently. The assumption that there is going to be something eerie appearing on the body cam of the police officers or that suspicious footage will be captured leads up to the actual horror near the climax of the film and the title becomes more relevant than ‘just another found footage horror film’.
Stepping away from the politically charged message, this story is about a grieving mother trying to do her best in her job but becomes rattled by a disturbing case. The script is not the most electrifying, especially its dialogue but Mary J Blige does her best with the material given to her. Other characters, including Nat Wolfe as her rookie partner, aren’t fleshed out as much, reduced and deduced to stereotypical characteristics and given little more than a few lines and scenes of explanation. Even the suspected antagonist throughout isn’t given much explanation, only finding out about her through clues. A few more scenes with Anika Noni Rose with context would have been more beneficial for the story. The ‘traditional’ aspects of horror that occurs is strange and twisted, keeping us hooked on the investigation, guessing if this is all supernatural or has an edge of hard truth to it. Trying to include several topics; the loss of a child, grief, police brutality, supernatural elements and everyday horrors is a challenge throughout the film.