One of the best expressions of class satire: The Triangle of Sadness

“Maybe you can be my assistant when we return,” says Yaya… When the camera shifts to Abigail, we see a fearless woman torn between her conscience and the risk of losing all her wealth. Ruben Östlund’s film, Triangle of Sadness, is a highly successful production that showcases all of the director’s skills to date and treats the audience to visually rich cinematography.

The film is divided into three parts. The first part begins by examining gender roles through the restaurant dialogues of Yaya and Carl, a couple who are both models and whose relationship is based more on exchanges of interest than on emotion.

In the second part, we learn that the couple has been awarded a sponsorship to join an ultra-luxury cruise. The events that unfold in this adrenaline-filled segment, which starts by introducing the ship’s characters, prepare us for the third part, where the balance of power is completely overturned.

In the third part, we witness a series of events that upend the class hierarchy. With brilliantly characterized performances throughout, the film’s 2 hour 20 minute runtime is never dull. From start to finish, the movie confronts us with racism and class divisions through various examples, while its finely tuned humor provides a highly enjoyable intellectual and visual experience.

In an interview, Östlund responded to the question, “How did you choose the cast?” with, “I scoured the world to find this cast.” As viewers, we witness from the very first scene how this thorough research produced outstanding performances. Nearly every actor portrays a distinct character, with Zlatko Burić’s portrayal of the Russian capitalist Dimitr being among the most remarkable. The highly physical performance of Sunnyi Melles, who plays Vera, Dimitr’s wife, also deserves special mention.

In terms of satirical storytelling, the film, often compared to The Menu and The White Lotus, stands out among its peers for both acting and cinematography.