Bodied

This Eminem-produced dramedy is an awesome shot of inappropriateness and irreverence, mercilessly skewering every target in sight. Often hilarious, Bodied simply doesn't care what viewers' expectations of the genre are; it really doesn't give a good golly gosh what you think of its attitudes and language or even its characters. It plunges viewers into some of the uglier aspects of rap culture (racism, misogyny, homophobia, etc.), and then throws cold water on the holier-than-thou dissection of the same topic by ivory-tower types. Then it "flips the script" again and again to savagely lampoon pretty much everyone. All manner of stereotypes take a beating, usually in ornate, jam-packed verses. But the script -- by actual battle rapper Alex Larsen -- isn't just about the hyper-verbal skirmishes and sneering at social conventions that are part of battle rap; it's also about sneering at cinematic conventions. It's unpredictable and unafraid. The movie's arc is like a funhouse take on A Star Is Born, if Lady Gaga's character were something of a tool. You might scoff at the potential emotional impact of a rap battle, but the film builds so effectively to the turning-point clash that it's genuinely tense and painful.

The secret winner of all this battling, though, may be casting director Judy Cook, who pretty much never misses in assembling a cast of largely unknown sharpshooters. As Adam's rapper friends, Shoniqua Shandai, Walter Perez, and Jonathan Park are each memorable. Battle rapper Dizaster is an intimidating presence as the sort-of villain. Worthy is excellent as a bookworm who rises by honing his previously hidden gift for tearing into people. But the strongest impression is made by Long as Adam's mentor, whose ugly secret is his humanity. Long channels an Old West gunslinger who's seen it all and knows that taking lives can haunt you; he's a powerful presence. Bodied is one of the best rap movies since 8 Mile.