Battle rap satire Bodied premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday night (September 7), packing a 1,200-seat auditorium with festival-goers, film critics and diehard fans of the battle scene.
In his introduction at the highly anticipated world premiere, director Joseph Khan cracked that the controversial film could possibly sink his career, as well as that of anyone involved in bringing it to the festival. But throughout the Eminem-produced film’s two-hour running time, a diverse cast of characters (many of them renowned battlers playing on archetypes from the actual subculture) spat what seemed like every racist, homophobic and misogynistic slur on Urban Dictionary, and somehow managed not to offend anyone.
Initial reviews from fans and critics have been overwhelmingly positive. Check out some reactions below.
Even before Thursday’s midnight screening, the four showings of the movie had sold out on strong local media buzz.
Screenwriter and former King Of The Dot champion Alex “Kid Twist” Larsen described the whole night as “surreal.”
We’re working on a full review for DX. Keep your eyes peeled.
[This story has been updated. The following was originally published on September 7, 2017 at 1:48 PST.]
Eminem’s highly anticipated battle rap film Bodied, directed by famed music director Joseph Kahn, is scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival Thursday night (September 7).
Bodied is a satirical film based around race relations and a white graduate student’s experience of the battle rap world, sparking the topic for his thesis statement. The movie stars Austin & Ally‘s Calum Worthy, MAD TV‘s Debra Wilson, The Breakfast Club star Anthony Micheal Hall and Power 105.1 The Breakfast Club personality Charlamagne Tha God.
Kahn believes that battle rap is the last “safe space” for free speech and Bodied will push the envelope when it comes to topics that are deemed too sensitive in today’s society. “I want to do a treatise on the way the world exists today,” Kahn told The Globe and Mail. “Right now, the thing that is consuming the world, specifically North American culture, is race relations. And how you live in a world of multiculturalism and where are the spaces you can talk about things and not talk about things.”
Prepare for everyone to get roasted.
The Eminem-produced movie will also feature a ton of well-known battle rappers including Toronto’s Kid Twist, who co-wrote the script with Kahn. Kid Twist and fellow battle rap star Madness will be going bar-for-bar for a live showdown at the festival as well.
Check out @BattleRapDotCom for live updates from the premiere.
The only flaw in this movie is that i am not in it,glad daylyt is in there and yo,Mr white slim shady,when next you wanna do a movie about battlerap,better be in it,we built you muderfucker
We built you? WTF have you done for the culture?
I BUILT THAT UNGRATEFUL SON OF A BITCH AND I BUILT YO MOMMA TOO
You must be a battle rapper cuz only a battle rapper would say something stupid as “we built you” and think he was being clever. Em WAS you, then he figured out how to be successful.
Glad to see all the battle rappers getting their shine! Arsonal, Loaded Lux, Dizaster those dudes been there since day one , congrats
Everything you said plus much love to dumbfoundead too!!
Bout damn time, Can’t wait to see it!!!! Congrats MM (Eminem) and all other collaborators!!
This is a lie. Snowflakes don’t like free speech or anything that may be deemed offensive..
Teenage white boys salivating over this movie
Haha!
Teenage black boys crying over this movie cause they can’t get up and spit it on the mike like the new white boyz ???
Malibu’s Most Wanted
im excited for eminem
But would it have garnered the same success without Em’s involvement? Just curious, not hating. I mean, even the Sherry Li tweet made me question some stuff. But will check it out bc I love hip hop
Why does that matter? Does the chance that it would be less recognized without Em’s involvement somewhow make it a worse movie?
KING OF THE MOTHER FUCKING DOT BITTTTTCCCCCCHHHHHHH!!!
URL AND DONT FLOP CAN ONLY DREAM ABOUT THIS SHIT.
And of course, none of the battle rappers got paid or will receive any royalties. Just will get temporary promo that will be forgotten about in a month….#FACTS
Battle rap is for simple minded morons
Why cant people just enjoy shit without some one being judgemental
bitch
can you guess the religion that (((Rosenberg))) represent? (hint: starts with a j)
Man, this is the problem with all these haters below. Who cares if Em was involved? Who cares what the premise for the movie is? Who cares the color of skin is in or directs the movie? This is mf’n movie for Hip-Hop culture. Do any of you simple minded kids below making negative comments know what MC’ing was based on? It was always about the art of battling. MC’s have been battling for reputation on the mic since rapping started. This is a GREAT look for Hip-Hop as a whole. The comments and reviews being made are from people who love, hate or clueless about rap and all seem to appreciate this movie. This should be something as Hip-Hop heads we unite on, not divide. This is what Hip-Hop’s been trying to do for years. Even when we succeed, you kids have to find a way to hate. Just shows how uneducated and immature this generation of Hip-Hop heads are. Probably bunch of Lonzo Ball fans.
Its black White it does not matter. I hate hatred of cloro it needs to stop on all sides not just one. I loved Eminem from day one. He spoke words that helped him deal with lifes tradgeties, trye words help him heal. I am 58 native american who loves rap not all but most. I went to see Eminem 2 times, for an old lady prett good. If we all spoke word rather than shootem life would be safer. No harm in rapping.
Thank for listening
is Canibus in it? with the big ass notepad too lol
LMAO i almost spit my drink reading this
Black people are the biggest cry babies. ‘We invented hiphop waaaahhh’. Bitch you didn’t invent shit, people with the same skin tone as you did. Shut yo black ass up lmao.