Club Zero

Unabashedly uninhibited, hilarious, and provocative, Club Zero explores belief dynamics and how they can shape identity in a story that follows the bond of a teacher with her students and the unexpected turn it takes.

Bathed in beautiful aesthetics transmitting universality through a synthetic palette, precise cinematography relying on zoom to focus on deeper meanings, and a percussion-driven score channeling a pulsating inner force that conveys a spiritual and ritualistic experience, Club Zero, inspired by the fairy tale "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," raises the question if adults are paying enough attention to their children.

Jessica Hausner is interested in portraying manipulation and faith as something dangerous that blooms when simplicity is accepted at face value without the resistance that naturally comes with examination. In conscious eating, students find a harbor for identity and a medium to realize belongingness via regurgitation of the agentic identity through facsimile emancipation. Ideologies are enjoyed since they give the control and understanding, that come with certainty, that reality, in its complexity, doesn't have to offer.

There are films that gives you ample time to ponder why it was made in the first place.

While having a supreme premise, the storytelling is pedestrian at best as it resolves to the mere treatment of a thesis. While this thesis contains elements of a satire with its overdone costumes and with its lifeless model house settings it lacks any sense of humor or wit.

There is nothing close to what I would call acting in this movie. Actors, some of them very talented, some of them even among my favorite actors, are as stiff as a log, reciting lines that could have been written by sophomores on a home assignment on nutrition.

My biggest takeaway was that even great actors can appear to be hopelessly untalented and hollow with the proper direction. There is no subtext at any moment whatsoever. I am assuming this is intentional. For me it ruined what could have been an engaging take on group dynamics.

During what felt like an eternity of incremental losing hope this film would go somewhere, I kept wondering why no one during financing, casting, shooting, editing and especially releasing had a hunch that a story poorly told could be a waste of time.

I saw this premiere in Cannes and absolutely hated this film. I simply didn't get the point and understand why I was watching it. I think it was meant to be satirical, but it felt poorly executed and scripted. Nothing in this movie really shocked me and the film seemed as bland as its meticulously crafted aesthetic. The movie felt very long at time and the tone was quite somber. At the end of the film I kept wondering why did this movie get made, and how did it get into the competition.

Some of the things I enjoyed were the actors were quite good. The actor playing Fred will probably have a great career. The art direction was quite on point.

I would not watch again.

I know this movie has gotten no so good responses from critics and the public but I personally liked it. Filmmaker Jessica Hausner clearly has an thought-provoking concept about nutrition, diets, and a satirical approach on control and misguidance. While the narrative does feel lacking and certain concepts does leave me starving for more, I still found the atmosphere, deadpan approach and style to be interesting.

The production, costumes, and the settings is colorful and beautiful. The dialogue is weird as admittedly, it does feel too fake but whether it was intentional on the direction, I did like some of the weird dialogue choices. The performances were mostly solid while there were a few dull performances.

Obviously the movie fault lies on the lacking of certain concepts and some of the style feels way too similar to Michael Haneke and Yorgos Lanthimos. Overall, I know this movie isn't liked but I don't think it's as bad as everyone has said.

The film addresses a very interesting and distressing topic, but it was not executed masterfully. The performances are good and the story gradually keeps us intrigued, but the work in general doesn't have much of a "pulse". The film spends a long time without going anywhere, and when we think that a climax will arrive and that we will be shocked, predictable or simple things happen.

At least I'll say one thing: The background scene during the end credits is very interesting and a little scary. I think it was the scariest part of the film, but obviously I won't say what it's about here because I don't want to spoil it.