Climax – S11 E86

This week on Shoot the Hostage, Sarah’s taking it all the way back to grim-town as we confront Gaspar Noé’s Climax (2018).

We’ve arrived at the fourth film in Sarah’s season dedicated to movies about drugs. She explains why Climax took the fourth spot instead of the final one, which you would think, given the title, would be the natural placement.

We also draw connections between Climax's disorienting visuals and unsettling atmosphere to other controversial films seen on the characters' interview tapes, such as Suspiria and Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. The influence of Andre Żuławski's Possession on Sofia Boutella’s intense performance is also discussed.

Here’s what you can anticipate from this episode:

• Why this incredibly grim movie takes the fourth spot in Sarah’s season lineup instead of the final one.
• Contrasting viewing experiences: Sarah's multiple, cathartic watches versus Dan's two "draining" encounters.
• Exploration of how Noé creates a disturbing portrayal of hedonism gone horribly wrong.
• Discussions on how the use of actual dancers and on-set improvisation contributes to the film's unique realism
• A hypothetical and highly intellectual discission on who would win in a fight between 1 million monkeys and Nigel Farage

Season 11 runs until August 11th with 8 episodes

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 11? The only place you can see it is on Patreon but you don't need to be a paying member. Sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup.

If you do have some loose change consider signing up as a paid member. Our £3 a month Patreon tier will grant you access to all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-10 and a minimum of 2 reviews of brand new movies each month. Plus the back-catalogue of reviews from 2023 and 2024. 

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube