Titane is a 2021 written and directed by Julia Ducournau and stars Agathe Roussella, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier and Laïs Salameh. The film centres around Alexia an erotic dancer that after a car crash at a young age develops a car fetish, as she reunites with her father, she hasn’t seen in ten year who believes her to be his son she commits a series of murders. Titane is a great one-of-a-kind film that combines weird fetishist culture, a serial killer film, a family drama and even a touch of body horror to create a unique experience.
The direction in the film is great. All the actors do a good job acting off one another with the characters of Alexia and Vincent acting as a great father Daughter/Son relationship with comes off as both disturbing and weirdly touching at the same time. The film has a great mood and style. The way that the film showcases the cars in this film as sexual objects really works well and adds to the weird fetishist nature of the film. The film is weird and disturbing a but also strangely touching with the father/daughter dynamic really working throughout the movie.
The acting in the film is great. Agathe Rousselle does a great job as Alexia. She plays a charter both turned on by certain aspects of what she does but also disgusted you do root and sympathise with her as a character despite the messed up this she does. Vincent Lindon is great as Vincent. He plays an equally damaged and messed up character in Alexia’s father but also does genially care about her especially by the end of the film. Garance Marillier does a good job as Julien a lesbian erotic dancer like Alexia who is initially turned on by her and acts as a sort of antagonist. Lais Salameh does a good job as Rayane. A Co-worker of Vincent’s who wants to know more about the weird relationship he has with his daughter.
The writing in the film is good. The film is generally intriguing as its wild premise keeps you guessing all the way through. The film takes multiple twists and tuns throughout the film with a great shocking ending the suits the film well. The cinematography of the film is also good everything is shot is a clear but stylised way the perfectly capacities the bizarre nature of the story. Certain shots of Alexia dancing on the car really show the bizarre nature the world of the film creates. Finally, there are the effects with are good. The practical blood and gore effects are well done throughout the film. Towards the later half of the film the more body horror elements of the story really benefit from the practical effects displayed in the film.
Overall Titane is great. The mixture of erotic thriller, family drama, murder mystery and even body horror come together to make a unique and great experience.