Climax(2018)(Review)[Foreign Fridays]

Gasper Noe is a French extreme filmmaker whose direction has a reputation for pushing boundaries and making people uncomfortable. His biggest releases “Irreversible” & “Enter the Void” both showcase some of the hardest material to transcend into visionary art, as well as force the audience to pay witness to extreme acts that are difficult to sit through.

“Climax” is his most recent venture. When a dance troupe get together in a warehouse for some final practice on their act, somebody unknowingly laces their punch with LSD before their big party kicks off. The first third of the film features a bunch of candid interviews showcasing the characters personalities, things that trigger them, and a brief history. The 2nd act has a lot of dancing and partying that slowly become tense as someone is accused of spiking the drinks and then beaten, a little child is locked away for safety, and many members aggressively try to get with each other. As the night prolongs, and the 3rd act flourishes, we are literally in a layer of hell. The lights are out, there’s blood everywhere, and everyone’s either crying, screaming, or laughing.

And the entire film is shot to appear as one consecutive shot. Complete with barrel rolls, extreme close ups, gore, body horror, and the camera floating all over the building.

Truthfully, I hated this film the first time I watched it. The film style made me uneasy and disoriented. As I watched more of his films however, I realized that that’s the entire point. And I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

It’s an extremely uncomfortable watch, and you could easily argue that the first half is decently boring, but the fact of the matter is this film explodes into pure chaos and madness that made me panic and revolt in my seat.

If I had to compare it to anything else, I picture the last act of ‘mother!’ and the camera style of ‘Enter the Void’ fusing into an epic form of dance horror. It’s not for the easily offended or the faint of heart, but for those who enjoy punishment in their viewings, this has almost too much to offer. The final minutes 20 are nauseating for multiple reasons.

5/5
“Climax” is currently available on Vudu and Amazon Prime.

‘Til Next Time,
Mike Cleopatra