Delayed Reaction: Climax

Premise: A dance troupe goes crazy during an after-party when someone spikes the punch with potent drugs.

Ugh. I just want to punch somebody when they describe a director as a provocateur. It sounds so pretentious and implies that the filmmaker is playing 3-dimensional chess with audiences. It kind of applies to Gasper Noe though. That guy is talented at finding ways to rile people up. Before Climax, I'd only seen Irreversible. I saw that movie after putting together of list of "most disturbing movies" with the internet's help*. I've heard about plenty of his other movies though. I was intrigued by Climax. The trailer looked interesting. It hinted strongly as Suspiria. Anything that casts Sofia Boutella for her dancing talent immediately has my attention.
*The other movies I remember from that list were Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer, Salo, The Last House on the Left, and Kids. That was a rough month.

I liked the movie early on. The interview segment with all the dancers had my curiosity. The dance sequence early on captivated me. I could've watched 90 minutes of that. Once it moved to the after-party, the drugs, and the mayhem, I was less interested. Around the time that someone gets casually lit on fire and another person locks her child (who is also high) in a maintenance closet with dangerous electrical wires, I realized that I wanted out. What started as something hypnotic, broke me out of the spell by transparently chasing shock value, which got boring (while still being horrifying).

This movie is a waste of time but with some impressive film making (loooong tracking shots) that almost made it worth it.

Verdict: Weakly Don't Recommend