Climax 2019

The film begins with a haunting image: a laughing and sobbing woman, bleeding as she drags herself through snow, ultimately surrendering to her fate.

As the story unfolds, we find ourselves in winter 1996, where a professional French dance ensemble, guided by the ambitious manager Emmanuelle and the talented choreographer Selva, gathers to rehearse for an upcoming show in a deserted school. After successfully mastering a complex closing sequence, the troupe pops open the champagne for a post-rehearsal celebration, enjoying some sangria crafted by Emmanuelle, while DJ Daddy sets the mood with pulsating beats. During this lively festivity, the dancers partake in jovial conversation, revealing their secrets and personal struggles.

As the night progresses, an unsettling tension builds within the group. Confusion and agitation set in, culminating in a shocking incident when Psyché unexpectedly urinates on the floor. It soon dawns on Selva that something is amiss, leading the dancers to conclude that the sangria has been tainted with a potent hallucinogen, likely LSD. Initial suspicions land on Emmanuelle, who prepared the drink, but she insists that she, too, has fallen victim to its effects. Unwilling to back down, Taylor, harboring resentment toward Omar for his romance with Gazelle, points a finger at Omar, asserting he must be the source of the concoction since he hasn’t indulged. Tensions flare further, resulting in a perilous decision to lock Omar out in the chilling cold.

In the chaos, Emmanuelle witnesses her young son, Tito, consuming the spiked drink and rushes to confine him in an electrical room for safety. Meanwhile, Selva checks on her friend Lou, who, even though she hasn’t partaken, appears to be in distress. Lou confesses her secret: she hasn’t drunk because she is pregnant. As events escalate, a disoriented and intoxicated Dom confronts Lou, violently accusing her of sabotaging the drink, refusing to believe her claims about her condition. The situation spirals into even greater chaos, with Lou desperately seeking help amid an altercation between Alaia and Jennifer, where a dangerous mishap causes Jennifer’s hair to ignite.

Lou’s fraught encounter with Dom culminates in her being brutally attacked, leading her to a mental breakdown as the others, under the drug’s hallucinogenic influence, turn against her violently. Despite initially arming herself with a knife for protection, the group’s taunts push her to self-harm, striking herself and carving her skin in a moment of despair, before finally being consoled by Eva.

Driven by horror and desperation, Selva, in her hallucinatory state, wanders through the chaotic scene and finds Emmanuelle, who is frantically searching for the lost key to free Tito from his electric prison. Just then, a vulnerable Selva stumbles upon David being viciously beaten by Taylor and his crew, a result of his earlier inappropriate advances towards women. As chaos reigns, the environment dims, with red emergency lights flickering ominously amid the growing pandemonium.

Amid the confusion, Ivana helps a disoriented Selva, leading her to embark on an unexpected encounter of intimacy. They embrace each other, lost in their own world as the violence escalates outside their door. Soon, David enters, beseeching Selva to leave, while Daddy dismisses him from his sanctuary where he comforts Riley amidst the unfolding tragedy. Meanwhile, Gazelle, feeling the weight of the events, ventures out but finds herself cornered by Taylor, who professes an ill-timed affection for her just as she is overwhelmed by distress.

As dawn approaches, police arrive to find a horrifying scene: most of the dancers either unconscious or lifeless. Psyché continues her solitary dance despite the horror surrounding her. The mortuary outline of Omar lies frozen in the snow, while Emmanuelle, consumed by despair, has taken her own life in proximity to the electrical room. The weight of the previous night’s events wraps around Tito, whose small body lies by the open door. In a startling twist, Gazelle wakes next to Taylor, apparently unaware of the previous night’s horrors as they both agree to hide the truth from their father.

As the morning unfolds, Eva is found in distress in the shower, while Jennifer grapples with the aftermath of her burns. Daddy holds Riley in comfort, and while Ivana and Selva share a quiet respite, the scene closes on Lou, who, emerging from the building, succumbs to madness, laughing uncontrollably in the snow, mirroring the movie’s traumatic opening.

Concluding with unsettling revelation, Psyché, carrying her collection of hallucinogen literature, retreats to her room, nonchalantly administering LSD into her eyes.