Rocketing out of nowhere to become one of my top films of the year, "Triangle of Sadness" was so fun in theaters with a crowd. My Alamo Drafthouse screening had a blast, cheering our heroes on like we were taping a Jerry Springer episode.
I know because I loved the film so much that this is going to be a tough sell for general audiences. As for the handful of critics drinking haterade (cough, cough: The Guardian), they're squarely in the crosshairs of who Östlund is aiming at with his unsparing critique of elites and their hypocrisies under capitalism.
The ending will surely polarize folks. Abigail is morally and societally wrong for her final decision-her justification for doing so being a lapse of sanity at the prospect of losing whatever semblance of power and status she gained on the island. For Abigail, her dilemma is existential. Directing violence towards "hot, innocent women"-"justified" or not-is something we instinctively recoil at. There will be those who will wish for a better fate for Yaya.
Those at the top of the capitalistic food chain will not and have not thought twice about who they're bulldozing to maintain their social positions when the roles are reversed. Yaya would have killed Abigail if she knew that Abigail was her last barrier to reaching that elevator. The island went from rule of law to law of the jungle: apex predator wins.
Direction
My favorite movies leave production details that reward repeat viewings (e.g. "Parasite," "Hereditary," "Midsommar," "Psycho," etc.) and Östlund's latest black comedy had this in spades. Every inch of his frames tell a little bit of the story, from the choice of books in the background ("Utopia for Realists"), to subtle payoffs in costuming (Abigail nonchalantly wearing the Rolex and Patek Philippe right after the scene she's bribed with them), to the blocking of his characters in the fore and background. Östlund's mastery over showing and not telling is god-tier.
Performances
Harris Dickinson seemed like a capable, innocuous-enough actor in the past films I've seen him in (e.g. "See How They Run," "Where the Crawdads Sing," and "The King's Man"), but he's a showstopper here. The physical comedy he taps into through his body language and expressions-on top of his choices in line delivery-make this a breakout lead performance. The subtle choices he made when "shopping" for the engagement ring had me DYING.
Carl is a total smoke show but still neurotic and awkward and insecure in his relationships. I was impressed at the depth Dickinson found beyond being just a hot, vacant bag of rocks. Carl was an excellent anchor for the first act. The Uber from dinner (one long take if I remember correctly) to Carl's elevator monologue instantly sold me on the movie being right in my wheelhouse. That scene earned Dickinson an Oscar nomination if there's any justice in the world.
I've never seen Dolly de Leon in anything, but holy cow: she grabbed that third act by the neck and completely ate it up. "One for you, one for me." // "Who am I?" If she doesn't get an Oscar nomination this year, we riot.
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