Triangle of Sadness

The white yacht sways under a scorching sun. On deck, models, millionaires, and a drunk captain debate whether capitalism is a scam or just a necessary evil. This is how *Triangle of Sadness* begins, the Swedish film that won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and left half the festival with their mouths agape. It's not a comedy, although laughter gets stuck in your throat. It's not a drama, although it churns your stomach.

Ruben Östlund, the same director who brought us *The Square* —that uncomfortable satire on contemporary art—, once again dissects the contradictions of the upper class. There are no heroes here. The characters are living caricatures: a social media influencer obsessed with likes, a Russian oligarch bragging about his yacht while his crew cleans up his vomit, and a captain who confuses Marxism with a vodka hangover. The film moves like a luxury cruise: at first, it's all champagne and smiles, but when the engine fails, what's left is pure survival instinct.

The best part isn't the script —although it's sharp as a razor—, but how Östlund toys with the viewer. He makes you laugh with one scene only to leave you chilled with the next. The title, *Triangle of Sadness* (the "triangle of sadness", that area between the eyebrows where worry lines form), is a perfect metaphor: beauty as a currency, inequality disguised as glamour. And although some critics labeled it as "too cynical", it's precisely that cynicism that saves it. There's no moralizing, just a broken mirror that reflects your own face.

If you're looking for a film that makes you think while churning your stomach, this is your bet. However, don't expect a comforting ending. In the end, as in life, those who have more continue to have, and those who don't, continue to clean up.

Satirical and ruthless, a gem of contemporary cinema.