Triangle of Sadness

sketched, never completed Looks like the director/writer had some notes, and didn't get around to write a complete script. So the movie starts out very promising, but then gradually runs out of ideas, until the last half is just ticking off the boxes of expected items. The quirky, funny look into modelling is followed by a well cast and (in some moments) acted part about relationship issues between inexperienced, clueless, and selfish people. We learn that the naïve male model is actually in love, while his female model/influencer counterpart tells him he's nice entertainment until she finds a rich guy to be trophy wife for. This doesn't deter him... and that was the promising bit. Next, they are on a luxury yacht for the decadents; and there is still potential for a really good story: the upstairs/downstairs angle is only implemented in a few scenes, most screen time of this part is spent on lavish dining with icky "haute cuisine" food in rough seas, and the consequences thereof. That was when the really good part could've started: how to they meet or avoid gazes the next day, the day after? What has changed, how, what shouldn't and how do class barriers break? Instead, we get a clownish intermezzo and next, the boring island section. This part is just tedious agitprop, reducing the (already shallow) characters to templates, and doing all the expected bits. Waste of time, talent, and a nice beach. For some reason, people are so content with half-baked products these days, you can even win prizes this way. 5/10, there's better ways to waste time, but this isn't the worst either.

Not much character development or story really, BUT ... the Captain's dinner is classic.

A social media and extremely influential power couple, Carl ( Harris Dickinson ) and Yaya ( Charlbi Dean Kriek ) are invited on board a private luxury super boat in a bid to promote the experience to their followers. The boat has a number of mega rich but morally bankrupt passengers and a large team of staff to pamper to their every whim. “Triangle of Sadness” develops characterisation as the audience get to know the guests, their status and their wealth. The Captain ( Woody Harrelson ) is fighting his own demons including alcohol to which he unfortunately succumbs during the Captains Meal. It is this particular evening, a rough night on the sea,  that events take a sinister turn with most passengers violently ill due to the effects of sea sickness. There are a number of graphic scenes of vomiting and over spilling toilets that leads to a blackout and the passengers and crew being thrown around by the rough weather.   As if the mega rich hadn’t suffered enough, further disaster unfolds that leads to a number of passengers and crew being stranded on a deserted island and fighting for survival. The questions “Triangle of Sadness” asks is, who is actually necessary to society and why? This harsh assault on capitalism takes a further turn when self proclaimed leader of the survivors , Abigail ( Dolly De Leon ) becomes poisoned by power and love or lust. In a final act that turns the protagonist into antagonist Abigail becomes the sort of person she hated so much when working as a cleaner on board the super boat. With solid all round performances and some extreme vomit and toilet humour, this social commentary satire directly hits all of its targets.