Triangle of Sadness 

Written and directed by Ruben Östlund

Starring Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson, and Harris Dickinson

Released in theaters (US) Oct. 7, 2022

Available on various streaming services, including Amazon Prime

Triangle of Sadness is another film I wanted to see before the Academy Awards. I liked the premise, and it had some strong recommendations from people whose opinions I respect. But after watching it, I was somewhat disappointed. It has many great and hilarious scenes and some riveting performances, but would not have been my choice for Best Picture – or best anything – unless they had a category for best knock-off of a Lina Wertmuller movie.

The Plot 

Carl and Yaya, a couple of influencers, are invited to a luxury cruise ship alongside a group of out-of-touch wealthy people. The situation takes an unexpected turn when a brutal storm hits the ship.

What I Liked About It 

* It was a cruelly and beautifully scathing critique of the woke obliviousness of the super-rich. Not just the Baby Boomers, but also Gen X.

* It had an impressively wide comic range – from dark (the spat over who should pay for the bill) to Mel Brooks (the vomiting scene).

* Woody Harrelson’s performance as the ship’s too-done-to-care captain.

What I Didn’t Like So Much 

* Some scenes went on a tad too long.

* It was, as I said, derivative, and that made it hard to take seriously. Ironically, however, that made it easier to enjoy. Because it was only 20% Wertmuller and 80% Mel Brooks.

Critical Reception 

* “For 95 minutes of its 147-minute running time, Triangle of Sadness is one of the best movies of the year. It’s a brutal satire whose comedy changes from deadpan subtlety to the most raucous and outrageous slapstick imaginable. It’s brilliant and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny – and then comes the shift.” (Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle)

* “Two-time Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund’s mischievous takedown of the super-rich has more style than substance.” (Wendy Ide, The Guardian)

* “This, in the end, is a very bad movie, executed with enough visual polish and surface cleverness to fool the Cannes jurors, something Östlund has done twice. Shame on them!” (A.O. Scott, The New York Times)

You can watch the trailer here.