Body Cam

“While investigating the bizarre murder of a fellow officer, veteran Renee Lomito (Mary J. Blige) discovers a mysterious figure in the body cam footage. Haunted by the visions of the event, she suspects something supernatural is targeting the cops in her unit. As the attacks escalate, she must race against time to uncover the mystery behind these killings in this intense action thriller, also starring Nat Wolff.”

The film opens on television footage of a not guilty verdict of a police officer accused of murdering an African American man in a diner. A police officer enters from the pouring rain, a regular, requesting a cup of coffee. With a disapproving look, the owner refuses service, and the officer leaves. On his nightly patrol, he spots a suspicious van and stops it. Seeing the woman inside has blood all over her, he orders her out of the vehicle, but before he can determine what’s going on, an invisible force launches him into the sky and out of sight. Then, we meet officer Renee Lomito, speaking to an on-the-job therapist about the tragic loss of her son from drowning, determining if she’s fit for active duty. Once cleared, she partners with Danny Holledge (Nat Wolff), and the two respond to a call to investigate the officer from earlier who will not respond to radio calls. When Lomito reviews the dash cam footage, she sees something terrifying in the video, something that no one wants to believe. On her own, she begins to investigate the strange clues that lead her down a dark path to what exactly this force is, and what connection it has to the police force, who seem to have motivations of their own.

Body Cam streamlines explosive political and sociological topics going on today, using them as a backdrop for a horror story. Horror aspect aside, the film certainly tries to address some of these themes regarding bad cops and how they’re viewed in society right now. Some of it is disheartening, because not all cops are capable of such atrocities, and the film treads lightly on exploring this theme a bit. Although I do applaud them for trying, I felt like a deeper exploration of this theme would have given the film a lot more depth and meaning, letting Mary J. Blige’s character acknowledge what she’s feeling being an officer of color, having to deal with that and the loss of her son at the same time. The ending shouldn’t surprise you, and that’s my biggest complaint about the film, how dull and predictable the ‘twist’ is.

As for the horror portion of the story, that is done very well. One of the best moments comes right at the beginning of the film in the middle of a torrential downpour as the windshield wipers of the police cruiser somehow produce so much tension that I was immediately impressed by what I was seeing. Whatever this figure or entity is that is causing such decimation among the police officers, what little you see of it can be pretty chilling. Gore and effects are also done extremely well, again, demonstrated at the first death scene in which they find the officer hanging in the air after being impaled, with a lot of guts and blood everywhere. All of the death scenes are pretty unique, and despite the story lacking in some areas, these keep you alert and interested it what’s going on.

For all the film has going for it, the actual story can be pretty hard to follow. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to anything happening, when in other horror films you can see some kind of connection with the characters and whatever is killing them, the dots just don’t connect here. Lomito’s investigation takes her to some frightening places, but when all is said and done, it all seems like a major stretch. Can’t really go into detail without giving away the ending, but when you finally do see where it’s heading, you can predict exactly what it is.

Mary J. Blige does a really good job in this film. It’s the first time I’ve seen her act, and she gives a very good performance as a mother who has lost a son just wanting to get back to the job she’s known, despite the turmoil against police at every turn. It’s a tough character to undertake given the climate today. I didn’t know Nat Wolff existed, and halfway through the film I thought I was watching his brother, Alex Wolff. The two look identical, and have equal talent for acting. His character doesn’t have the depth it should have, given the ending, but he has a few good moments to shine.

Body Cam is released on DVD only, but also comes with a digital code. It’s recommended to watch it on digital given the fact you can see it in high definition vs. the standard definition you’ll see on the disc. Containing no special features either, it’s a very barebones release.

Despite a confusing story that is hard to follow at times, Body Cam has a few good moments peppered through this horror film set in an already explosive climate. If you’re looking for something different to watch, this film may have a few entertaining moments for you.