Carl (Harrison Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean) are a young attractive couple and both are models. Yaya is also a social media influencer. Due to their status and beauty, they are invited to join a luxury cruise (for free) where other passengers include the super-rich from various countries some of whom gained their wealth in very unethical ways. Later, certain passengers and staff of the sea vessel end up on an island fighting for survival. "Triangle of Sadness" is an international co-production.
This film has various extended scenes that feel uncomfortable at first but often end up as anything from intriguing to funny (very crude in one case). One such scene includes a wealthy Russian oligarch named Dimitry (Zlatko Buric) making an absurd demand upon the entire staff which is obeyed as the class distinction is very strong within the confined setting.
A puzzling scene involves Dimitry having a discussion with the yacht captain, Thomas (Woody Harrelson). During this discussion, Thomas' defense of socialism seems preachy and didactic. If writer/director Ruben Östlund were trying to make a point, subtlety would have been more effective. However, there is possibly a twist here. The preacher of socialism (Thomas) happens to be an drunken parasite who has an undeserved privilege of being at the top of a work hierarchy and whose second in command (Paula played by Vicki Berlin) is stuck to do much of his job as well as all of her own. Perhaps, having such a repulsive character preaching a certain ideology is Östlund's way of rejecting the ideology. But this is more than offset by the remainder of the plot which often skewers the vile hierarchies caused by capitalism. One such vile hierarchy is shown when Paula is leading her subordinates during a staff meeting.
As the film involves a major twist, character development is very fascinating in the final segment. The most intriguing of these changes is in the character of Abagail (Dolly De Leon) who is at the bottom of the socio-economic hierarchy as a staff member of the yacht but whose survival skills place her at the top of the hierarchy on the island. It could be easy to cheer for her except maybe for a certain advantage she grabs rather viciously.
The film ends with one of those moments of "OMG, how could you end it THERE?" with a potential plot twist that we don't even get to see. But with the chance to create the ending ourselves, this fascinating film still concludes well. - dbamateurcritic.
This film has various extended scenes that feel uncomfortable at first but often end up as anything from intriguing to funny (very crude in one case). One such scene includes a wealthy Russian oligarch named Dimitry (Zlatko Buric) making an absurd demand upon the entire staff which is obeyed as the class distinction is very strong within the confined setting.
A puzzling scene involves Dimitry having a discussion with the yacht captain, Thomas (Woody Harrelson). During this discussion, Thomas' defense of socialism seems preachy and didactic. If writer/director Ruben Östlund were trying to make a point, subtlety would have been more effective. However, there is possibly a twist here. The preacher of socialism (Thomas) happens to be an drunken parasite who has an undeserved privilege of being at the top of a work hierarchy and whose second in command (Paula played by Vicki Berlin) is stuck to do much of his job as well as all of her own. Perhaps, having such a repulsive character preaching a certain ideology is Östlund's way of rejecting the ideology. But this is more than offset by the remainder of the plot which often skewers the vile hierarchies caused by capitalism. One such vile hierarchy is shown when Paula is leading her subordinates during a staff meeting.
As the film involves a major twist, character development is very fascinating in the final segment. The most intriguing of these changes is in the character of Abagail (Dolly De Leon) who is at the bottom of the socio-economic hierarchy as a staff member of the yacht but whose survival skills place her at the top of the hierarchy on the island. It could be easy to cheer for her except maybe for a certain advantage she grabs rather viciously.
The film ends with one of those moments of "OMG, how could you end it THERE?" with a potential plot twist that we don't even get to see. But with the chance to create the ending ourselves, this fascinating film still concludes well. - dbamateurcritic.