Gaspar Noe’s Climax is a masterwork, a style-infused journey into hell that will linger in the mind for days.
A group of young dancers gathers inside an empty schoolhouse to practice their routines. But their all-night rehearsal mutates into a hallucinatory nightmare when someone laces their sangria with LSD.
The ensemble cast assembled for Climax is beyond impressive, anchored by Sofia Boutella’s amazing performance as Selva, a choreographer (a role that essentially makes her the lead character).
But the real star of Climax is director Gaspar Noe, whose reliance on long takes - coupled with his skilled camera movements - intensifies the dread that continues to build as the story unfolds. Noe’s approach to the material brings an undeniable energy to the early dance scenes, which gives way to a terrifying descent into the abyss once the characters have been drugged, some revealing their innermost secrets and prejudices in a way that’s positively chilling.
I was blown away by the craft on display in Climax, and by the time the end credits rolled I was completely drained.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10