Titane is a 2021 French-Belgian body horror thriller film about a father who is reunited with a son who has been missing for ten years; this follows a series of unexplained crimes.
Directed by Julia Ducournau (Raw) from a screenplay written with the collaboration of Jacques Akchoti, Jean-Christophe Bouzy and Simonetta Greggio.
Reviews:
“Ducournau’s distinct brand of unthinkable body horror returns nastier than ever, the kind that makes you feel queasy in your own skin […] It culminates in a jaw-dropping, transgressive finale that had this writer’s stomach feel a little uneasy. The director is now two for two in filtering our very real inner anxieties through the corporeal.” Awards Watch
“[Julia Ducournau‘s] previous effort, Raw, was one of the best films in years, and this new one, Titane, is just, well, pure mayhem. The Fast & Furious franchise might have long abandoned any pretence of reality, but this is the kind of car-loving that Vin Diesel would probably not approve of.” Cineuropa
” …left me rocked by how well its beautifully bizarre story was able to blend together Ducournau’s acerbic wit and her razor-sharp exploration of humanity and identity with this gentle story about adoptive families, leaving me euphoric and heartbroken by the time we get to its conclusion. Titane certainly won’t be a film for everyone, but for those who prefer boundary-pushing cinema, Ducournau’s latest should undoubtedly take you on a helluva ride.” Daily Dead
“For its sheer silliness and towering pointlessness, Julia Ducournau’s gonzo body-horror shaggy-dog story deserves some points. This was the director who had her feature debut with the scary and smart Raw in 2016 […] Arguably, her follow-up film, Titane, is doing the same thing, but more facetiously and clumsily – if occasionally with a certain bizarre elan.” The Guardian
“The entire film works on this exaggerated allegorical level, so anyone complaining about any lack of realism or believability doesn’t understand where Ducournau wants to take the viewer […] both richly cinematic and pregnant with nuance and meaning.” The Hollywood Reporter
” …the opening scenes depicting the genesis of Alexia’s fixation and her initial rampage of eroticized violence possess an energy and inventiveness that the remainder never matches, despite its consistently rich, fiery look and fleshy sound design. Titane can accelerate from zero to 60 pretty quickly, but sometimes, despite all of its flashy decals, it feels like it’s just cruising.” Slant
Release:
Titane premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on July 13, 2021. It was released in France the following day.
Titane is set to receive its British premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2021, and will open theatrically across the UK on December 31st.
Cast and characters:
Vincent Lindon … Vincent Legrand
Agathe Rousselle … Alexia / Adrien
Garance Marillier … Justine
Laïs Salameh … Rayane
Mara Cisse … Jeantet
Marin Judas … Charrier
Diong-Kéba Tacu … Sissoko
Myriem Akheddiou … La mère d’Adrien
Bertrand Bonello … Le père d’Alexia
Céline Carrère … La mère d’Alexia
Adèle Guigue … Alexia 7 ans
Thibault Cathalifaud … Le fan salon tuning
Dominique Frot … La dame Macarena
Lamine Cissokho … Jérôme / Jupi
Florence Janas … Le médecin d’Alexia
Frédéric Jardin … L’inspecteur BPF
Olivia Venner … Hôtesse douches
Thibault Villette … Le vigile salon tuning
Filming locations:
22 Avenue des Peupliers, Fleury-Mérogis, Essonne, France (fire station)
Martigues, Bouches-du-Rhône, France (car show at La Halle, murder on parking lot)
Provence Studios, Martigues, Bouches-du-Rhône, France (studio)
Fun facts:
Titane is the French word for titanium, a metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys.
Trailer:
