Unequivocally the best film of 2019 (already)

Rating: 10/10 (3 March 2019)

Gaspar Noé is one of the boldest, most unmistakable artists of all time. His films are so relentlessly horrifying, on visual, emotional, and even auditory levels, that they oft induce literal nausea (but still impress). Their colors are stark, their actors show authentic agony, and their camera work is ambitiously executed, including takes that last upwards of 30 minutes. His camera has its own life, even if we don't always feel as if we're on the mortal plane.
Climax, his latest piece of French extremism, is not as hallucinatory as you may expect; it never lets us see that which is seen by its drugged protagonists, but simply observing their gradual descent into madness and anarchy in an isolated space via the hovering camera is still an outlandish experience. This is, of course, largely due to the acting. Even when the shots are seemingly endless and contain 20-ish actors doing things at once and several subplots intertwining, no-one in the cast or camera crew ever miss a beat. Or the special effects crew for that matter.
It may qualify as one of the most flawlessly coordinated movies of the past 20 years, although I must note that many scenes (excluding the early, astonishing dance number) are improvised - so many, in fact, that in spite of its intricacies, Climax proved a relatively brisk production. The horrific intro in the snow was only added because, well, it had been snowing.
The plot concerns a diverse class of dancers who, on a cold and dark night in the year 1996, gather in an abandoned school to celebrate a succesful rehearsal, only to find that the alcohol has been spiked with LSD and things go to Hell and beyond. There are some nods here to the works of Noe's old friend and fellow filmmaker Dario Argento, including a clearly visible Suspiria case during the prologue (I also spotted "Labyrinth Man", The Possession, and something by Fritz Lang).
Most famous on the cast list is probably Sofia Boutella, known to overseas filmgoers for Star Trek Beyond (i.e. the one film from the new batch that actually feels like Star Trek) and the infinitely insipid Mummy reboot. I want this to be the film that truly opens the door for her and showcases her skill. But then, the acting all-around is unthinkably good.
The setting, as I wrote above, is tight and isolated, and the music played in this place is perfectly selected. Trippy songs by the likes of Aphex Twin, Coh, and Wild Planet go well with the unnerving sounds of frequent Noe collaborator Thomas Bangalter.
Noe has previously made Irreversible (which I found too disorienting on my first viewing and need to finish) and Enter the Void, which I've only seen a handful of times but confidently include amongst my favorite movies of all time. People weren't too hot on Love, but this is no doubt a return to form.
I saw someone call Climax an anti-drug film, irately so. I believe it is only anti drugs in the same way that Requiem for a Dream is an "anti-drug film". If straightforwardly depicting the effects of acid makes a film "anti drugs", take it up with the drugs. Noe has first-hand experience with illegal substances; they inspired him to master the hallucinogenic imagery of Enter the Void and Irreversible. He seems the right man to portray their users.
I don't care that we are only 3 months in. This is, unequivocally, my favorite movie of the entire year and may yet become even more than that. It is directed, shot, acted, and presented without fault, creating an experience that (despite, again, lacking outright surreal images) make nightmares seem escapist. I expected to utterly love it and it still went beyond. If it was mathematically possible for me to give it more than a 10/10 and place it higher on my list than number 1, I would. My God, Noe, you absolute madman!