Triangle of Sadness (2022)

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.

3.0 / 5

INCLUVIE SCORE

4.5 / 5

MOVIE SCORE

Representation

Bianca Sbrocchi

November 7, 2022

3 / 5

INCLUVIE SCORE

4.5 / 5

MOVIE SCORE

TIFF ‘22 Coverage: ‘Triangle of Sadness’

Regardless of how you interpret Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness, one thing is certain: it is wildly entertaining. It does touch on its thesis of socialism versus capitalism with flagrancy, but this film flies by in a series of flashes. Each installment is more gripping than the last, and the details of the story are built upon, layer by layer, ensuring they’ve left the most profound impact by the time the ending comes around. I truly believe that the less you know about the plot going into this film, the more fun it will be, so I’ll forego a synopsis. The most substantial aspect of the film is its structure. The narrative is divided into three chapters which allow for the different themes, or actualizations of those themes, to emerge in entirely different settings. A perfect example is the debate on gender roles within relationships. Östlund plays with these ideas in fascinating ways in the first chapter of the film compared to the third. The leading couple, Carl and Yaya (Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean), are at the forefront of displaying how each conversation around wealth, privilege, class, and gender evolves. We can observe how their dynamics and values change under the different experiences of each setting, and how power changes hands depending on what currency is the most valuable at any given time. The chapters achieve fluidity from one circumstance to another and cultivate unique spaces in which Östlund’s storytelling can meander while still building on the foundation of larger points. Every interaction seems like it could be isolated into its own little short film and still make sense but they are bound together by a strong cognitive thread to compose Triangle of Sadness as a complete vision. The film opens, for instance, with a series of interviews taking place at a modeling audition. This sequence holds incredible thematic significance, but we never see this setting or the majority of its cast members again. It is still one of the more memorable scenes and the humor that is integral to this film really shines here.

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Movie Information

Rating:

Genre:Comedy, Drama

Directed By:Ruben Östlund

Written By:Ruben Östlund

In Theaters:10/28/2022

Box Office:$24,733,572

Runtime:147 minutes

Studio:30WEST, BBC Film, Bord Cadre Films, Coproduction Office, Film i Väst, Heretic, Imperative Entertainment, Sovereign Films, Plattform Produktion, SVT, BFI, Piano, ARTE France Cinéma, ZDF/Arte, Essential Filmproduktion, TRT Sinema