Titane (2021)

Was this the most shocking film of 2021? maybe, it depends on how much the viewer likes body horror? however, there’s one word that everyone who has watched Titane can agree on when describing Julia Ducournau’s 2021 horror/thriller. Memorable. Now, this could be positive or negative depending on how much the viewer enjoyed the movie, but either way, it did an excellent job of provoking a reaction and leaving a lasting mark.

Personally, I found more to enjoy with this film than dislike. The plot is imaginative, and Agathe Rousselle in the lead role gives quite an incredible performance. Her transformation alone is stunning and you’ll never guess where the story is progressing due to the unique way in which Docournau both wrote and directed the film. But best of all is the sumptuous cinematography.

This isn’t to say the movie doesn’t have flaws, it absolutely does, namely, the poor character development, especially when compared to Ducournau’s previous work. Raw, which I found to be an excellent piece of cinema and some of the many twists and turns do not pay off in the way Docournau would have hoped, this is most evident in the final third when things go bonkers.

In the end, Titane, shouldn’t be remembered as just the film where the girl hooks up with a car, it’s so much more than that. A creepy, dark and thought-provoking exploration into repressed sexual desire, poor emotional control and isolation. A hard watch to be sure, but a rewarding one (that is if you’re part of the 50% of viewers who enjoyed this film).