When a movie hits you like a ton of bricks, so much so that the whiplash you felt after leaving the theater three weeks ago still courses through your body, you know you’ve just witnessed something special. In that case, Titane–winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival–is one of the most special films I’ve ever seen.
The visceral nature of all of French provocateur Julia Ducournau’s anti-hero feminist films is nothing short of a vivid nightmare come to life (if you haven’t seen her cringe-worthy film Raw yet, I give you permission to stop reading this review and start watching immediately–currently streaming on Netflix). Ducournau is a stylistic and savvy storyteller who weaves vulnerability with vengeance in a way that is so unique, I believe she is currently elevating the horror genre to be more than just blood and gore, but blood and gore *with purpose*. Tarantino wishes!
Related: ‘Raw’ Review: Campus Cannibalism Has Never Been More Cinematic
Imagine if Charlie (Milly Shapiro) from Hereditary survived that car accident, or if The Female (Scarlett Johansson) in Under The Skin continued her vigilante justice against pervy men. That’s barely scratching the surface of Titane’s multi-layered saturnine storyline, one rife with existential dread, unconditional love, and animalistic needs, all set to a killer score by Ducournau’s past collaborator, Jim Williams.
There is so much I want to say about Titane, specifically the WTF moment in the bus station bathroom, and the first encounter our protagonist Alexia (played magnificently by Agathe Rousselle) has with an overeager “fan” in her car, and that end scene! But I know the best way to experience this film is to go in completely blind and so I’ll bite my tongue (but not so hard that it starts to bleed, contrary to a Ducournau act).
I can say with certainty that Titane is the most horrifically insane film you will see all year. This begs to be seen on the big screen and thankfully, it is playing in most theaters everywhere.
Distributed by NEON, ‘Titane’ is now playing in theaters.
