Drama,Comedy
United States of America
Bodied is a satirical drama film directed by Joseph Kahn and written by Alex Larsen. It stars Calum Worthy, Jackie Long, Shoniqua Shandai, Walter Perez, Anthony Michael Hall, and Charlamagne tha God. The film follows Adam Merkin (Worthy), a progressive graduate student who becomes obsessed with battle rap after attending a rap battle event. He decides to make it the subject of his thesis and immerses himself in the culture of battle rap.
As he gets deeper into the world of battle rap, Adam finds success as a battle rapper himself, much to the outrage of some of his friends and colleagues who accuse him of cultural appropriation. The film explores themes of free speech, cultural identity, and the line between critique and insult in the world of battle rap.
Throughout the film, Adam grapples with his own moral compass as he navigates the cutthroat world of battle rap, facing off against some of the top battle rappers in the world. The film features numerous cameos from real-life battle rappers and hip-hop personalities, including Dizaster, Hollow Da Don, and Dumbfoundead.
Bodied premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017 and was well-received by both audiences and critics. It won the People's Choice Award for Midnight Madness at the festival and was subsequently picked up for distribution by YouTube and Neon. The film was released in select theaters in 2018 and later made available for streaming on YouTube Premium.
