Climax (2018)

Gaspar Noé’s Climax (2018) is one of the most disturbing, hypnotic, and electrifying films of the past decade. It blends dance, chaos, and psychological horror into a single fever dream that’s equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. Let’s dissect it in detail.

Detailed Summary

The Auditions and Introductions

The film begins with VHS-style interviews of dancers who have gathered in a remote building in France. Each member of the troupe shares their motivations, dreams, and thoughts about art, sex, drugs, and freedom. This sets up a mosaic of characters, ranging from the arrogant to the vulnerable, giving us small glimpses into their personalities before everything collapses.

The Dance Sequence

Following the interviews, the troupe performs a 10-minute long dance sequence that is mesmerizing and hypnotic. Shot in a single take, it’s arguably one of the most impressive dance scenes in cinema. The choreography is explosive, tribal, and filled with sexual energy. At this point, the film feels like a celebration of artistic expression.

The Sangria and the Descent

After the performance, the dancers gather for a party, celebrating with sangria. Slowly, they begin to realize that something is wrong: the sangria has been spiked with LSD. As paranoia and suspicion set in, accusations fly. Who poisoned the drink? Was it intentional? Slowly, order breaks down, and each dancer begins to unravel in terrifying ways.

Chaos in the Building

The troupe spirals into madness. Friends become enemies. Sex, violence, and hallucinations overtake everyone. The camera, often inverted or following characters in dizzying long takes, traps us in their nightmare. Some try to escape but fail, some harm themselves, and others commit horrific acts. It becomes unclear what is real and what is hallucination.

Movie Ending

The final act of Climax is a complete descent into hell. Characters die in horrific, surreal ways. One woman sets herself on fire. Another mutilates herself. Selva (Sofia Boutella), the group’s most composed member at the start, gives in to the madness, her body twitching and convulsing in a nightmarish dance as red lights flood the room.

The most shocking reveal comes in the very last moments: Tito, the youngest boy present, is discovered locked in a room with the electrical box. He has electrocuted himself, adding another tragic layer to the carnage. In the final shots, we see a dancer calmly lying in bed, high on LSD, detached from the chaos around her. The camera pans to another character who quietly reveals a small bag of acid, suggesting she was microdosing herself the whole time and never drank the sangria. The film ends abruptly, offering no resolution—just the raw, unrelenting horror of a group torn apart by paranoia and drug-induced hysteria.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Climax does not have any post-credits scenes. The film ends with its final shocking montage and immediately cuts to black. Gaspar Noé does not offer a relief or a teaser—once the nightmare ends, it simply leaves the audience in silence.

Type of Movie

Climax is best described as an experimental psychological horror film with elements of dance, thriller, and arthouse cinema. It’s a sensory experience designed to unsettle rather than tell a traditional story.

Cast

• Sofia Boutella as Selva
• Romain Guillermic as David
• Souheila Yacoub as Lou
• Kiddy Smile as Daddy
• Claude-Émile Tissot, Mounia Nassangar, Lakdhar Dridi, and others as dancers

Film Music and Composer

The soundtrack is crucial to the film’s atmosphere. Instead of a traditional score, the movie uses 90s house, techno, and electronic music. Tracks by artists like Daft Punk, Aphex Twin, and Giorgio Moroder drive the energy of the dance sequences and amplify the paranoia.

Filming Locations

The entire movie was shot in a single, abandoned school building in France. Its empty hallways, gymnasium, and dorm-like rooms contribute to the feeling of claustrophobia and entrapment. The location itself becomes a character, reflecting the dancers’ mental states as they collapse into madness.

Awards and Nominations

• Won the Art Cinema Award at the Cannes Film Festival (Directors’ Fortnight)
• Multiple nominations from international film festivals, particularly praising choreography, cinematography, and Sofia Boutella’s performance

Behind the Scenes Insights

• The film was shot in just 15 days with a mostly improvised script.
• Dialogue and character interactions were largely improvised by the cast.
• Gaspar Noé only wrote a 5-page outline for the story.
• The long dance sequences were performed in real time with minimal cuts.
• The LSD-fueled chaos scenes were not rehearsed in detail; actors were encouraged to “lose control” for authenticity.

Inspirations and References

• Inspired by real-life events in which a French dance troupe reportedly experienced a mass LSD intoxication in the 1990s.
• Gaspar Noé has cited Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dario Argento’s Suspiria as stylistic inspirations.
• The VHS interview format references old French TV casting tapes.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

No alternate endings are officially documented, but some early cuts reportedly had longer hallucination sequences. Gaspar Noé trimmed them to maintain pacing. The director intentionally avoids closure, so an alternate “happy” ending was never considered.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Climax is not based on a book. It is an original screenplay (albeit improvised) by Gaspar Noé.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• The opening 10-minute dance sequence.
• The moment everyone realizes the sangria is spiked.
• Lou’s horrific fate after being accused of pregnancy.
• Selva’s final convulsing dance in red light.

Iconic Quotes

• “Life is a collective impossibility.”
• “To live is to dance… and to dance is to live.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• The opening VHS interviews are framed by books and VHS tapes, which include works by Nietzsche, Bataille, and horror classics—a deliberate clue to the film’s philosophical and artistic influences.
• The credits appear halfway through the movie, not at the start or the end, subverting traditional structure.
• The final inverted camera shots symbolize the world literally being turned upside down.

Trivia

• The film was shot chronologically, making the descent into chaos feel natural for the actors.
• Gaspar Noé originally planned a much darker ending but toned it down (yes, this version is the “toned down” one).
• Most of the cast are real dancers, not trained actors.

Why Watch?

Because Climax is not just a film—it’s an experience. It blends hypnotic dance with nightmarish horror, pushing viewers into a state of unease. It’s for those who want cinema that challenges, shocks, and immerses rather than entertains in a conventional way.

Director’s Other Movies

• Irreversible (2002)
• Enter the Void (2009)
• Love (2015)
• Vortex (2021)

Recommended Films for Fans

• Suspiria (1977)
• Black Swan (2010)
• Enter the Void (2009)
• Requiem for a Dream (2000)
• The Neon Demon (2016)