Bodied - Screening & discussion

Venue: The Circle | 6 Market St, Newport, NP20 1FU
Date: 12/03/2026
Doors: 18:30 Close: 21:30
Entry: Pay what you can

Bodied follows Adam, a white graduate student researching race and discourse, who becomes immersed in the fiercely competitive Los Angeles battle rap scene. What begins as academic curiosity quickly turns into an obsession as Adam discovers that lyrical skill, reputation, and dominance are earned through verbal combat that pushes boundaries and provokes discomfort.

As Adam rises in the scene, the film interrogates cultural appropriation, freedom of speech, and the ethics of performance in spaces shaped by Black creativity and lived experience. The battles are electrifying, but the consequences are personal and political, forcing Adam and the audience to confront the difference between saying something and understanding its impact.

Running at 120 minutes, Bodied blends high energy performances with pointed social commentary, using humour and confrontation to explore how language can empower, wound, and expose hidden biases. Produced by Eminem and directed by Joseph Kahn, the film challenges viewers to reflect on intent, accountability, and identity in contemporary culture.

After the screening, audiences are invited to join an optional post film chat at Circle Screening to unpack the themes, controversies, and questions the film deliberately leaves unresolved.