We’ve always been fans of the cinematic madman Gaspar Noé around these parts, and when his latest film, the acid-laced dance spectacle Climax premiered at Cannes in May to essentially rave reviews, we got pretty pumped. Noé’s always been a provocateur, but his work normally takes a long time to gestate — after all, it was five years between his last two films, the nightmarish Enter the Void and the 3D “comedy” Love — and we’re glad he’s found a new pace that seems to benefit him creatively. Now A24, the film’s North American distributor, has dropped a trailer for the movie, and our excitement is feverous.
Take a look, and maybe avoid drinking the sangria at your next gathering, lest what happens here happen to you:
Well, we’ll just let the synopsis speak for itself:
“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.”
Climax will hit theaters at some point in 2018, but it’ll be showing as a part of the Midnights line-up at TIFF, and you can bet your ass we’ll be there.
Featured image via A24.