Climax

2019 • 96 minutes

About this movie

From director Gaspar Noé (Irreversible; Enter the Void; Love) comes a hypnotic, hallucinatory, and ultimately hair-raising depiction of a party that descends into delirium over the course of one wintry night. In Climax, a troupe of young dancers gathers in a remote and empty school building to rehearse. Following an unforgettable opening performance lit by virtuoso cinematographer Benoît Debie (Spring Breakers; Enter the Void) and shot by Noé himself, the troupe begins an all-night celebration that turns nightmarish as the dancers discover they've been pounding cups of sangria laced with potent LSD. Tracking their journey from jubilation to chaos and full-fledged anarchy, Noé observes crushes, rivalries, and violence amid a collective psychedelic meltdown. Starring Sofia Boutella (Atomic Blonde) and a cast of professional dancers, Climax is Noé's most brazen and visionary statement yet.

Ratings and reviews

This movie is incredibly bad. The film description makes it sound like they wrote a plot.. but that's all lies. The opening credits (literally) are 45 minutes into a 90-minute movie. The story is non-existent; instead you are presented with well-acted but terribly-written characters you hate.. and when they start attacking one another there's no reason behind it. This movie can be summed up as "random people hurting one another". It may as well be a clip show of nonsensical homicide.

It's not for the faint of heart, but I haven't been this flat-out wowed in a long time. A masterpiece of filmmaking. Bravo. This film didn't scare me into sobriety, but now that I've seen the horror story that's based on true events, I solemnly vow to always trip responsibly.

Be prepared to experience vertigo watching this film. The view shifts throughout, following individuals and groups as the story progresses. Not your typical horror film. Part of the horror lies in the reactions of the dancers, made even more alarming because of their expressive physical movements. It is engaging, vividly colored and stomach churning.