David Kajganich had a weirdly difficult job. He had to take Camille DeAngelis’s novel—a story about young cannibals that feels almost like a dark fairy tale—and turn it into something visceral, grounded, and heartbreaking for Luca Guadagnino to film. If you've read the book and then sat down to watch the movie, you probably noticed pretty quickly that the Bones and All script isn't a carbon copy. Far from it.
It’s raw.
The film version of Maren isn't exactly the Maren from the pages. In the book, she’s a bit more of a blank slate, a force of nature driven by an internal hunger she doesn't quite grasp. In the script, she’s searching. She’s active. She’s looking for a mother who abandoned her, a father who couldn't handle her, and a world that won't immediately try to kill her. That shift in perspective changes everything about how the story breathes.
How the Bones and All Script Rewrites the Rules of Horror
Most "horror" scripts rely on jumpscares. They want you to spill your popcorn. But Kajganich’s writing in this project doesn't care about your pulse rate in that way. It cares about your stomach. It cares about that hollow feeling you get when you realize you're inherently "other."
The screenplay focuses heavily on the "eaters" as a metaphor for addiction, trauma, and the marginalized experience in 1980s America. By setting the Bones and All script specifically in the Reagan era, the writers tapped into a specific kind of loneliness. Think about the landscape. Wide-open fields. Dilapidated houses. It’s a road movie. But instead of Easy Rider, it’s a journey through the fringes of society where people literally consume one another to survive.
One of the most striking things about the script’s structure is how it handles Sully. Mark Rylance’s character is terrifying because he’s written with such a strange, polite domesticity. In the script, his dialogue is rhythmic and circular. He speaks in a way that feels like he’s trying to convince himself he’s a good person. "I don't hurt 'em," he says. He just waits for them to die. That’s a massive departure from typical monster tropes. He isn't a slasher; he's a scavenger.
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The Ending That Everyone Still Argues About
If you want to talk about the Bones and All script, you have to talk about the ending. It’s devastating.
In the novel, the ending has a different weight, a different finality. But the screenplay leans into the tragedy of the "Bones and All" concept—the idea that to truly love someone, to truly know them, you have to consume them entirely. It’s a literalization of the phrase "I could just eat you up."
When Lee (played by Timothée Chalamet) asks Maren to eat him at the end, it isn't just a gore-fest. It’s a wedding. It’s a funeral. It’s the only way they can stay together. Kajganich wrote that scene with a level of intimacy that makes the audience feel like they’re intruding on something private. The script describes the act not as an assault, but as a desperate, loving necessity. It’s honestly one of the boldest swings in recent "prestige" horror.
Why the Dialogue Sounds So... Real
Usually, when people write about cannibals, the dialogue is stilted or overly "villainous." Not here. The Bones and All script thrives on the mundane. Maren and Lee talk about their favorite songs, their parents, and their fears.
- The script uses silence as much as words.
- It relies on the "unsaid" between the lines.
- The pacing mimics the slow burn of a summer road trip.
There’s a specific scene where they’re at a carnival. In any other movie, this would be where the killer strikes. In this script, it’s just two kids trying to feel normal for five minutes. They eat funnel cake. They look at the lights. They pretend they don't have blood under their fingernails. That juxtaposition is exactly why the film resonated with people who don't even like horror movies.
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The Evolution of Lee as a Character
In the early drafts of the script, Lee’s backstory was explored with slightly different nuances. Chalamet reportedly worked closely with Guadagnino and Kajganich to ensure Lee felt like a "shattered mirror." He’s someone who has been running for so long he forgot what he was running toward.
The script treats Lee’s sister, Kayla, as the emotional anchor he can’t quite let go of. Her presence in the screenplay reminds us that Lee isn't just a drifter; he’s a brother. He’s someone who was loved once. That makes his eventual fate in the Bones and All script hurt significantly more. You aren't watching a monster die; you're watching a kid who never had a chance.
Technical Craft: Beyond the Gore
If you’re a screenwriter looking at this text for inspiration, look at the "sluglines." The way Kajganich describes the American Midwest is poetic but spare. He doesn't over-describe the gore. Instead, he describes the smell or the sound. He describes the "wetness" of a room.
Writing a script like this requires a balance of empathy and brutality. You have to love your characters even when they’re doing something irredeemable. The screenplay never judges Maren. It never points a finger at Lee. It just observes them. It asks the audience: "If you were born this way, what would you do?"
Breaking Down the "Bones and All" Meaning
The phrase itself is a piece of lore within the movie’s universe. It refers to the act of eating an entire person—bones and all. In the script, this is treated like a rite of passage or a dark enlightenment.
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Interestingly, the script frames this not as a goal, but as a burden. To have eaten someone "bones and all" is to carry them forever. It’s the ultimate weight. When we see characters who have done it, they aren't empowered. They’re exhausted. Sully is the prime example. He’s "full" but he’s still starving for connection. It’s a brilliant bit of writing that turns a physical act into a psychological state of being.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and Writers
If you're looking to study the Bones and All script or just understand why the movie hit you so hard, keep these points in mind:
- Focus on the "Why" not the "What": The script doesn't focus on the mechanics of eating; it focuses on the emotional hunger for belonging. That's why it works as a romance.
- The Power of Setting: The 80s setting isn't just for aesthetics. It represents a time before the internet, where you could truly disappear. It’s the perfect backdrop for people who need to stay hidden.
- Character-Driven Horror: If you take the cannibalism out, you still have a compelling story about two lonely people finding each other. That is the hallmark of a great script.
- Contrast is Key: The beauty of a sunset against the ugliness of a kill. The softness of a kiss against the sharpness of a tooth. These contrasts are written into the very DNA of the screenplay.
The script serves as a masterclass in adaptation. It respects the source material enough to keep its soul but is brave enough to change the skeleton. For anyone interested in the intersection of genre and art-house cinema, it's essential reading. The way it navigates the thin line between the repulsive and the beautiful is something few writers ever truly master. It’s a story about the cost of being yourself in a world that wasn't built for you.
To dig deeper into the craft, compare the shooting script with the final cut of the film. You'll notice where Guadagnino allowed for improvisation and where the script’s rigid structure held the emotional beats together. It's a reminder that a script is a blueprint, but in the case of Bones and All, it was a blueprint for a very beautiful, very bloody house.
Next Steps for Deep Diving into Bones and All:
- Read the camille DeAngelis novel: Contrast the "eater" rules in the book versus the movie. The book’s version of Maren’s mother is drastically different and offers a much bleaker outlook on Maren’s future.
- Analyze the Sound Design: Since the script emphasizes the sensory experience, watch the film again focusing specifically on how the "sounds of eating" were translated from the page to the audio track.
- Study the Midwest Locations: Look up the filming locations in Ohio and Nebraska. The script’s focus on "liminal spaces"—bus stations, rest stops, empty fields—is a huge part of why the narrative feels so unmoored and drifting.
- Check out the Screenplay Drafts: If you can find the circulating PDF of the screenplay, look at the scene headers. Notice how Kajganich uses time of day and light to dictate the mood of Maren and Lee’s relationship.