Gaspar Noé’s Provocative, Dance-Music-Horror Extravaganza CLIMAX Confirmed as the FRIGHTFEST Closing Night Gala on August 27
UK PREMIERE: ARROW VIDEO FRIGHTFEST: CLOSING NIGHT GALA AUGUST 27
RELEASED IN UK CINEMAS SEPTEMBER 21
Starring Sofia Boutella, Kiddy Smile & Romain Guillermic
“Darkly funny…wildly sexy”
THE TELEGRAPH, Robbie Collin
“Electrified filmmaking”
TOTAL FILM, Jordan Farley
“Visually extraordinary…a gob-smacking, show-stopping display”
THE GUARDIAN, Peter Bradshaw
ARROW is thrilled to announce the UK Premiere of Gaspar Noé’s (Enter The Void, Irréversible) stunning, unforgettable new feature CLIMAX as the closing night of this year’s Arrow Video FrightFest on August 27th. The provocative work that electrified this year’s Cannes Film Festival, winning the Art Cinema award, the top prize from Director’s Fortnight, opens in UK cinemas nationwide September 21st.
Birth and death are extraordinary experiences.
Life is a fleeting pleasure.
Following a successful, and visually dazzling rehearsal, a dance troupe celebrate with a party. But when it becomes apparent that someone has spiked the Sangria, the dancers soon begin turn on each other in an orgiastic frenzy.
Premiering to the best reviews of Noé’s controversial career, CLIMAX is a dizzying, wildly erotic journey to the very depths of the human psyche.
Following a troupe of eclectic and diverse performers coming together in a grungy rehearsal space to prepare for a US tour, CLIMAX introduces us one by one via the dancer’s straight-to-camera audition tapes. Gay, straight, black, lesbian, Hispanic, multi-national twenty-somethings, they captivate individually while seamlessly blending into a hypnotic collective in a dazzling dance number, electrifyingly shot with cinematographer, and regular Noé collaborator, Benôit Debie‘s contortionist camerawork.
Post-performance, the after-party begins, Emmanuelle (Claude Gajan Maull) serves up some sangria and Daddy (Kiddy Smile) hits the decks as they gradually relax and reveal their innermost thoughts, desires, cravings, their last chance to really relax before they hit the road on tour. Everyone of either sex wants to hook up with David (Romain Guillermic), and he’s very willing to play along, despite Selva (Sofia Boutella), who has no idea of his inclination, and Ivana (Sharleen Temple) and Gazelle (Thea Carla Schott) are having serious couple issues. There’s Rocket (Kendall Mugler), the queen of high heel dancing and a brother and sister duo veering between protective and promiscuous. Soon reality starts to slip out of focus and the nightmare begins. The celebratory punch-bowl has been spiked with hallucinogens and the real trip is about to begin, as some descend on a hellish odyssey to psychosis and others orgiastically reach euphoric heights.
CLIMAX introduces a standout cast of non-actors and professional dancers – Voguers, Krumpers and Waackers scouted from the underground Paris ballroom scene and youtube dance videos, lead by actress and choreographer Sofia Boutella (Hotel Artemis, The Mummy) in a phenomenal star-making performance. Set to an almost continuous score of vintage techno, house and electronic tracks, the soundtrack starts the after-party with the likes of Cerrone and M/A/R/R/S before giving way to sinister tracks by Aphex Twin, Daft Punk and Dopplereffekt and the drug-induced pandemonium takes hold.
CLIMAX HITS CINEMAS ON SEPTEMBER 21 FOLLOWING FRIGHTFEST PREMIERE ON AUGUST 27
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