‘Can you relax your triangle of sadness?‘
Wealth porn has never been more prominent than it is now. Aside from the tawdrier end of the scale (The Housewives of Wherever), there is also The White Lotus, Succession, Nine Perfect Strangers, and the list goes on. Triangle of Sadness is in the same ballpark as the aforementioned but it is far more than just The White Lotus on a yacht…
Split into three parts, Triangle of Sadness begins with the introduction of Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean) a wealthy power couple arguing about who should pay the bill for their posh meal. In part two, Carl and Yaya join a cruise on a luxury superyacht captained by a drunken lunatic (Woody Harrelson) and also featuring a number of wealthy Russian oligarchs – most notably Dimitry (Zlatko Buric) – a man who made his fortune as ‘a shit salesman’ (or a fertilizer merchant to you and me). The third part of the movie I cannot explain here for spoiler reasons, but needless to say, it’s not what you think it’ll be.
Triangle of Sadness is a multilayered film in which every layer works on a profound level. There are no missteps here. Writer-director Ruben Östlund has penned and delivered a perfect movie for our time. A movie that actually eclipses many of the films and TV shows that have influenced it. It is also no coincidence that the 207-minute run time absolutely flew by, and I was thoroughly gripped from first to last. Nobody steals the show in terms of performance as this is a true ensemble piece which sees cast members drift in and out throughout the film’s well-defined three acts with aplomb. Honestly? The story is so good, the plot so compelling, that the cast just had to show up and do their bit. Harrelson adds a bit of star quality and provides many of the film’s funniest moments, but it is also worth noting that this is not just a comedy. Instead, it is one of those rarest of beasts, a dramatic film that is laugh-out-loud funny, a comedy that is captivating and thrilling throughout, a film that can be chilling and satirical and clever – often in the same scene – without ever compromising on quality. In short, Triangle of Sadness is a late shout for being one of the finest films released in 2022. I absolutely adored it.
The nature of Triangle of Sadness, the complexity, the technical achievement, ensures that it probably won’t receive the plaudits that it clearly deserves – the seasickness scene, destined to become an iconic cinematic moment, is worth the entry fee alone – but make no mistake about it. This is an instant classic. I would urge anyone to add this one right to the top of your list.