Carl and Yaya may be our way into the story, but they are far from the focus. Östlund is more interested in putting ridiculous people in ridiculous situations and then blowing everything up than in following a traditional narrative. This is refreshing and endlessly entertaining since you never quite know where things are going to go. You could say he zigs when you think he’s going to zag, but the truth is more akin to starting on Earth and ending up on Pluto. Yes, this results in many loose ends. The storytelling is by no means “efficient,” but that matters much less than every second being captivating, scathing, unpredictable, and hilarious. There’s electricity that comes with turning so far off the beaten path that there is none.
“…even with such high expectations, I was blown away.”
Comedy can’t really be described, it must be experienced. Things get absurd throughout, but rarely for its own sake. This is pointed, barbed humor laser-focused on the beautiful and the avaricious, who can’t seem to imagine the life of people who have to work for a living. Having said that, the narrative isn’t even straightforward given these themes, as some of the “working class” people you may be rooting for beclown themselves given the right circumstances. But, as things kept getting weirder and weirder, the whole audience will be convulsing with laughter.
Before seeing Triangle of Sadness, I had heard it was the best film of the year. But, even with such high expectations, I was blown away. Östlund is like a European Wes Anderson, where the whimsy is replaced by biting social satire. Characters are keenly observed and come front and center over the plot. Anything can happen. Absurdity reigns supreme. Yet, at the end of the day, we know a little more about the human condition after seeing it bursting at the seams.
Triangle of Sadness screened at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.
"…comedy can't really be described, it must be experienced"
