Hooptoper Neun (2022) - Film #22

Society is a pretty weird flick. It’s also pretty slow, at least until the end. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad, and there’s an unsettling feeling running throughout. I’m not sure that for most of the runtime I’d consider the film a horror in a traditional sense, but it is creepy and off-putting; icky, if you will. The way the film is shot is very strange at times, and it feels intended to confuse, which works well.

It runs almost like a mystery, although it’s pretty clear roughly what is happening, even if we don’t know the detail. The opening credit sequence is a bit of a shame, as if you’re watching intently it acts as a bit of a spoiler.

There’s satire embedded here and commentary on the lives of high society and the impenetrable nature and nepotism of these circles; the way that the privileged profit at the expense of those that aren’t so lucky. The film plays into a lot of the conspiracies about the elite - Bohemian Grove and the likes, and it works as an extension of this.

Then, towards the end, it kicks off. Suddenly, it’s full on horror and truly bizarre. The visual effects are unlike almost anything else: body horror in full focus. Give it a miss if you’re squeamish. The crescendo of Blue Danube is probably slightly overused as musical tricks go, but it’s very effective here. I’m not certain what more I can say about the final scenes without spoilers, but they are bold to say the very least.

This movie is a unique experience, and Brian Yuzna pushes everything to the limit at the end. Society is a pretty weird flick.