Triangle of Sadness
2022 · Directed by Ruben Östlund
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
The story
A celebrity model couple are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged, alcoholic captain. What first appears Instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island in a struggle of hierarchy.
What it’s like
Clean, flat, hyper-lit surfaces dominate: sun-bleached yachts, glossy marble lobbies, and fashion-shoot whites that gradually turn grimy and sunburnt. Östlund holds on static, deadpan wide shots that let awkward silences stretch, with a restrained, almost clinical camera that watches people embarrass themselves and never rushes to cut away. The score is sparse and mock-grand, with classical swells that undercut the vulgarity onscreen, and the island stretches are dominated by the hiss of waves, wind and sudden, shocking bursts of noise. The vibe is sour, sun-drenched satire: cutting, uneasy, and often very funny in a wince-inducing way. Violence is sudden and brief but harsh, with a few bloody and graphic moments, and there is explicit sexual content and nudity, plus a strong run of vomiting and bodily humiliation played for laughs. It suits a late-night watch with friends who enjoy provocation, or a sharp, unsettling evening alone. Made for viewers who like their comedy cruel, slow-burning and politically pointed, and who don't mind being uncomfortable.
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