Julian (Seeking Film)’s review published on Letterboxd:
No one has ever accused Ruben Östlund of being "too quiet" with his satirical voice, and with the increasing obviousness of his targets (his last one literally being the world of high art), it was only a matter of time before the Swedish observer of human behaviour and culture would turn his trigger towards the inherent vapidity of the modelling world. In actuality, Triangle of Sadness merely uses its dead-eyed model couple as a gateway to examine a broader section of the global elite, all coming to a head in one of the most outrageous second acts of a film ever put to screen without once delving into surrealism. You can call what Östlund is doing "easy, toothless cheap shots," but even the most hardened cynic would have a hard time leaving Triangle of Sadness without at least a handful of hardy chuckles.
Östlund's reputation is also not tied stringently to any particular visual techniques aside from long, static wide takes that venture into creeping close-ups (like a more awkward and lighthearted Lav Diaz, I suppose). In Triangle of Sadness, that emphasis on going wide not only allows for some fun little background details to be picked up on, but also enables him to show off his penchant for spacious blocking, while giving his actors room to show off their own prolonged senses of comedic timing. ("Woody Harrelson is a Marxist ship captain" has always been and will remain my primary selling-point for this movie.) Each of the film's three segments finds a different actor (or two) taking the reins as the comedic and satirical focus of Triangle of Sadness, and in each case, Östlund proves that he made the right call.
How willing you are to get onto Ruben Östlund's wavelength depends entirely on your tolerance for straightforward pot shots and, in the second section especially, gross-out gags. Whatever the case may be, Triangle of Sadness has gotten people talking with enough interest and enthusiasm to (rightfully) keep key portions of the plot under wraps. Whether that talk comes from laughing with Östlund or at Östlund, this degree of brash directness and noticeable effort in craft make it clear that Östlund only cares if you're laughing.
Cannes 2022.
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