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IMDbPro

Climax

  • 20182018
  • RR
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
66K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,472
88
Sofia Boutella and Kiddy Smile in Climax (2018)
Watch ’Bande-annonce [OV]’
Play trailer0:57
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Horror
  • Music
French dancers gather in a remote, empty school building to rehearse on a wintry night. The all-night celebration morphs into a hallucinatory nightmare when they learn their sangria is laced... Read allFrench dancers gather in a remote, empty school building to rehearse on a wintry night. The all-night celebration morphs into a hallucinatory nightmare when they learn their sangria is laced with LSD.French dancers gather in a remote, empty school building to rehearse on a wintry night. The all-night celebration morphs into a hallucinatory nightmare when they learn their sangria is laced with LSD.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
66K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,472
88
  • Director
    • Gaspar Noé
  • Writer
    • Gaspar Noé
  • Stars
    • Sofia Boutella
    • Romain Guillermic
    • Souheila Yacoub
Top credits
  • Director
    • Gaspar Noé
  • Writer
    • Gaspar Noé
  • Stars
    • Sofia Boutella
    • Romain Guillermic
    • Souheila Yacoub
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 488User reviews
    • 285Critic reviews
    • 67Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 7 wins & 14 nominations

    Videos2

    Bande-annonce [OV]
    Trailer 0:57
    Bande-annonce [OV]
    Trailer
    Trailer 2:06
    Trailer

    Photos111

    Sofia Boutella at an event for Climax (2018)
    Sofia Boutella at an event for Climax (2018)
    Climax (2018)
    Climax (2018)
    Climax (2018)
    Mounia Nassangar, Tiphanie Au, Alexandre Moreau, Naab, Strauss Serpent, Vince Galliot Cumant, Sofia Boutella, Sarah Belala, Mamadou Bathily, Kiddy Smile, Romain Guillermic, Alou Sidibé, Adrien Sissoko, Souheila Yacoub, Taylor Kastle, Thea Carla Schott, Sharleen Temple, Lea Vlamos, Alaia Alsafir, Kendall Mugler, Lakdhar Dridi, Ashley Biscette, Claude-Emmanuelle Gajan-Maull, and Giselle Palmer in Climax (2018)
    Mounia Nassangar, Tiphanie Au, Alexandre Moreau, Naab, Strauss Serpent, Vince Galliot Cumant, Sofia Boutella, Sarah Belala, Mamadou Bathily, Kiddy Smile, Romain Guillermic, Alou Sidibé, Adrien Sissoko, Souheila Yacoub, Taylor Kastle, Thea Carla Schott, Sharleen Temple, Lea Vlamos, Alaia Alsafir, Kendall Mugler, Lakdhar Dridi, Ashley Biscette, Claude-Emmanuelle Gajan-Maull, and Giselle Palmer in Climax (2018)
    Climax (2018)
    Climax (2018)
    Climax (2018)
    Climax (2018)
    Climax (2018)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sofia Boutella
    Sofia Boutella
    • Selvaas Selva
    Romain Guillermic
    • Davidas David
    Souheila Yacoub
    • Louas Lou
    Kiddy Smile
    Kiddy Smile
    • Daddyas Daddy
    Claude-Emmanuelle Gajan-Maull
    • Emmanuelleas Emmanuelle
    • (as Claude Gajan Maull)
    Giselle Palmer
    • Gazelleas Gazelle
    Taylor Kastle
    • Tayloras Taylor
    Thea Carla Schott
    • Psycheas Psyche
    Sharleen Temple
    • Ivanaas Ivana
    Lea Vlamos
    • Leaas Lea
    Alaia Alsafir
    • Alaiaas Alaia
    Kendall Mugler
    • Rocketas Rocket
    Lakdhar Dridi
    • Rileyas Riley
    Adrien Sissoko
    • Omaras Omar
    Mamadou Bathily
    • Batsas Bats
    Alou Sidibé
    • Alouas Alou
    Ashley Biscette
    • Ashleyas Ashley
    Mounia Nassangar
    • Mouniaas Mounia
    • Director
      • Gaspar Noé
    • Writer
      • Gaspar Noé
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      It took between 15 and 16 takes to shoot the first ten-minute opening scene which is all one continuous shot.
    • Goofs
      While the movie is supposed to be set in 1996, which is confirmed by the clothes, the music and the lack of smartphones, the French spoken in the film is very much 2010s, with many anglicisms or other recent verbal tics heard throughout the movie. This is due to the improvised dialogue from the cast working off of a five-page script.
    • Quotes

      Selva: Oh, you're so good! Thank you, thank...

      Psyche: You liked it?

      Selva: I'm so happy. I couldn't be happier.

    • Crazy credits
      The title of the film is the last thing to appear on screen.
    • Connections
      Featured in Half in the Bag: 2019 Movie Catch-Up! (part 1 of 2) (2019)
    • Soundtracks
      Trois Gymnopedies (First Movement)
      Composed by Erik Satie

      Performed by Gary Numan

      (c) Published by Numan Music USA LLC

      Administered by Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd

      Courtesy of Beggars Banquet Records Limited

      By arrangement with Beggars Group Media and Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd

    User reviews488

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Bonkers
    "Climax" is less of a film than it is a visceral experience, and that will immediately turn off a good population of moviegoers who will invariable dismiss it as "artsy garbage." If you're one of these people who can't stand films made by "artsy" directors, what are you even doing going to see a Gaspar Noé movie?

    But whew. If you appreciate film or dance, you are going to be blown away by this masterpiece. This is "Step Up" on crack cocaine.

    A group of young people who subscribe to an underground dance culture meet for a three-day weekend of intense rehearsal. On the final night, during their closing party, someone spikes the sangria, and well....best not to say much more.

    The first 45-60 minutes of the film are made up of impeccably choreographed dance sequences that had my eyes glued to the screen like I had just rail-lined a bunch of Ritalin. Some may call this "boring" but I found it to be electrifying and mesmerizing. The music in the film is constant, like you're watching it in a nightclub instead of a theater. Electronic powerhouses such as Thomas Bangalter, Giorgio Moroder, and Aphex Twin contribute to the dazzling soundtrack. After the first dance sequence, which lasts about 10-15 minutes, I wanted to stand up and applaud. Then I forgot that I was in a movie theater.

    I especially enjoyed the cast of characters, which reminded me so much of my days doing musical theater in high school. If you've done performing arts in either high school or college, you will appreciate "Climax" on an entirely different level. The awkward politics of being in such a troupe come out in full force -- while everyone is generally nice to one another, rivalries and furious envy exist in the shadows, in addition to cutthroat attitudes and the occasional best friend / power couple dynamic. When things go wrong after the sangria is spiked, these politics are blown up into a larger than life spectacle. It was a neurotic joy to watch unfold.

    And boy do things get wild. The key theme once the action begins is pure, unadulterated panic. Gaspar Noé's trademark direction brings us back to the chaotic, irregularly lit sequences seen in "Irreversible." The action is so dense. Some keep dancing. Some commit acts of violence. Some have passionate sex on the dance floor. Your eyes and senses are overwhelmed and you have no idea where to look, until a fast camera pan takes you to a completely different part of the room.

    Speaking of which, the cinematography is top notch (although that's a running theme in Noé's repertoire). You've got all kinds of shots here -- dutch angles, long cuts that contribute to the chaos, even slow inversions that make you feel as if you are in a fun house at the Jersey Shore. It's incredibly disorienting, nauseating, and a whole lot of fun.

    While watching, I also noticed a lot of similarities to Aronofsky's "Black Swan." If you enjoyed that one, definitely check out "Climax."

    The ending of the film seems less complete than it should, but it's really no big deal, and does not spoil or ruin the rest of the film.

    This is one roller coaster I'd happily ride again, and I'd say it is destined to become a midnight cult classic. Keep on dancing.
    helpful•48
    47
    • kim_smoltz
    • Mar 9, 2019

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 19, 2018 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Belgium
    • Official sites
      • A24 (United States)
      • Artémis Productions (Belgium)
    • Languages
      • French
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Buổi Tiệc Kinh Hoàng
    • Filming locations
      • France
    • Production companies
      • Rectangle Productions
      • Wild Bunch
      • Les Cinémas de la Zone
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €2,600,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $817,339
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $119,423
      • Mar 3, 2019
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,036,044
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 37 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

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