Climax

We’ve come to expect nothing less than bizarre extremes from Gaspar Noé (Irréversible, Love) and the factually based Climax does not disappoint. The film is a 90-minute danse macabre, which after a brief introduction of the characters moves from playful into horny before upping the ante more and more. A physical, destructive, extravagant downward spiral of ecstatically writhing bodies where words have become superfluous, as they can no longer withstand the will and the temptations of the flesh. An erotic hell that plays out entirely within a deserted school building with drink and drugs, barricaded doors and increasingly animalistic urges.

Decide for yourself whether this sea of burning desire is a metaphor for something or other: the raw, destructive power of this film is undeniable. Noé is the diabolic master of ceremonies, the wizard who opens the gates to the underworld and gives us a taste of hellfire.

Also see Workshop Nina McNeely.