Review: Triangle Of Sadness

Winning the biggest prize at the Cannes Film Festival for your last two films does naturally put your works on such a pedestal to a level of expectations that is almost unfair.

That's the situation director Ruben Ostlund is in after winning the Palme Do'or this year for his latest project. This now makes it two wins for his last two films.

The first one was 'The Square', which I rather enjoyed. With this new release, I was certainly getting a similar buzz when Ostlund released 'The Square' along with 'Force Majeure' and we were to expect another interesting satire.

This time, we explore the super-rich, gender roles, the economy and society in a satirical way. It does start with some vintage Ostlund awkwardness to give us an idea of where we're going with his latest work.

When we get to the second act, this is where things a bit on the nose and borderline ridiculous. This includes one scene that is clearly Ostlund's centre fold if you will. Some will find this sequence uncomfortable if you have a weak stomach. For me while I felt it was highly memorable, it kind of over-stayed its welcome as it went on for slightly too long.

For the final act, its scenario gives a very interesting twist with multiple character developments and gives us an ending that might not be satisfying fir everyone.

Like with all of Ostlund's work, it's quite the experience. There's many memorable moments and it gives us a lot of interesting sequences that most will probably discuss about afterwards.

The performances are pretty good on the whole. Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean have an on-screen relationship that while it is supposed to be annoying, it is entertaining on the whole. Both show how talented they are, and it was a real shame to learn that Dean passed away a few weeks before the films release.

Woody Harrelson was a nice stand-out despite his short appearance. It was clear that he was having a fun time with this character and was almost like he was playing the audiences thoughts of every other character around him.

The one that ends up being the real star of the show by the end is Dolly De Leon. She takes real authority in her character when required and becomes an instant scene stealer.

While I did enjoy watching it, I did have mixed feelings at the same time. I am always up for a story that pokes fun at the super rich. But there were at times where I felt it was either too on the nose in its execution or felt like it was too easy of a target for Ostlund.

So, with the knowledge of me knowing that Ostlund has made cleverer satires in the past, this was still an enjoyable watch. There's a lot of fun to be had and I like some of the situations are characters are in. But it is nowhere near as in depth as Ostlund's previous works. Some of the decisions he makes for the story felt too obvious. There are some cool development changes that save it from being totally on the nose. But there wasn't quite enough to totally ignore it. I would also say that it is also slightly too long for what it is saying. It clocks in at almost 2hrs 30mins and I don't it needed to be that.

Rating: 7/10