Early in the film it is revealed that the ‘triangle of sadness’ is a term used in the beauty industry to describe the wrinkled pattern between a person’s eyebrows, a supposedly undesirable trait to have. It is therefore an apt title for this film where beauty and modelling are two of the many targets of Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund’s satirical wit. However, the title is also a reference to the triptych structure of the film where across three distinct parts the film follows the misadventures of model Carl (Harris Dickinson) and influencer Yaya (Charlbi Dean) as they bicker about the unequal status underpinning their relationship, go on a disastrous trip on a luxury cruise ship, and then have an increasingly absurd adventure in the aftermath of the cruise. Each part has a slightly different tone and perspective, but there are characters who occur across more than one part, and nearly everybody is unified by being in miserable situations that are presented to the audience with gleeful relish. Triangle of Sadness is far from subtle about what it wants to say, but it is hard to resist its depiction of wealthy, powerful and beautiful people as they are stripped of dignity and autonomy.
CINEMA AUTOPSY 