In director Ruben Östlund’s follow up to the wildly successful The square, Triangle of Sadness deftly takes on on the beauty industry, the cult of celebrity, and the superficiality of modern society as we follow the misadventures of a group of supermodels as they navigate the cutthroat world of high fashion.

Östlund’s direction is deft and confident, making use of a wide range of techniques to convey his message, from the use of long tracking shots to capture the grandeur of the fashion shows, to the tight close-ups that highlight the emptiness behind the models’ perfect smiles, Östlund demonstrates a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of his subject matter. The performances are uniformly excellent, with all of the actors bringing a sense of authenticity and nuance to their roles. In particular, the three leads – played by Woody Harrelson, Harris Dickinson, and Charlbi Dean Kriek – imbue their characters with a sense of humanity and depth that makes them more than mere caricatures.

At its core, the film is a biting critique of the fashion industry and the values it embodies, it exposes the superficiality and emptiness of this world, showing how it reduces people to objects and encourages a culture of narcissism and self-obsession. Yet, at the same time, the film has a sense of empathy for its characters, recognising the pressures they are under and the toll it takes on them. With sharp satire and insightful commentary, it is a must-see for anyone who wants to understand the complex and often contradictory nature of our modern world.

Available on DVD and Blu-ray!