Club Zero

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.

Imagine stepping into a world where reality crumbles like a faded painting. "Club Zero" draws you into a whirlpool of ambiguity and reflections, guiding you through a labyrinth of simulacra and deprivations. The film, masterfully directed by Jessica Hausner, unfolds in an elite school where normality is merely an illusion. Here, Miss Novak, an enigmatic teacher, introduces her students to a new creed: radical fasting as a means to break free from the chains of consumerism and superficiality. What begins as a social experiment soon descends into darkness as the students are increasingly drawn deeper into the vortex of their convictions. Hausner paints a dark and unsettling picture, where human relationships are mere empty shells and emotions are a distant echo. The images, cold and distant, convey a sense of alienation and disconnection, as if the world around were merely a distorted reflection of true reality. The theme of food becomes a powerful symbol, representing not only physical needs but also our deepest anxieties and insecurities. Through a series of disturbing and surreal scenes, the film forces us to confront our darkest fears and deepest desires. The ending, with its evocative image of students lost in the void of the unknown, leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. What is true and what is merely an illusion? And, above all, what does it truly mean to be free? Ultimately, "Club Zero" is a fascinating journey into the heart of human darkness, an experience that captivates and transports you to a world without time or space. Hausner, with her bold vision and impeccable direction, offers us a penetrating look into what could be the future of humanity, inviting us to reflect on what truly matters in life. If you're ready to surrender to the allure of mystery and beauty, "Club Zero" is the film for you. Prepare to be transported to a world where nothing is as it seems, and where truth is but a distant mirage.

I just saw Club Zero - still attempting to "digest" it. Brilliant but not ready-made for simplistic interpretations. It attacks some major issues way beyond eating disorders. For me Hausner explores our human need for connection - the need to find community in a confusing world through a shared belief system (no matter how irrational or potentially destructive). The family unit is dissolving. This is how ideology substitutes for what was once the realm of religion. Modern day group think and aligning oneself with a tribe (perhaps only a tribe that exists online) is one way to not feel alone and to see oneself as serving a higher purpose - to have acceptance and meaning in ones life. Of course, this lends itself to being manipulated - this was obviously true with Nazism and Communism, both of which were dressed up as servicing a high ideal. In the case of Ms Novak, she's been drinking her own Kool-Aid. I loved Wasikowska's portrayal of this extremely sincere but demented role model. Her accent was interesting - I think it might have been a subdued Dutch accent. She always becomes her character thoroughly - she's never just playing a version of herself. Club Zero has something to offend everyone, of any political persuasion, since its easy to project ones own bias onto the films surreal/psychological take on society.

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.

At an elite private school, teacher Ms Novak (Mia Wasikowska) starts a club called Conscious Eating for a group of students.

The filming style is slow with long uncut scenes. The dialogue is often done in a hush. That has more to do with the characters. It is a dark comedy that leans more on the dark. Some of these people are not acting reasonably especially the principal. She really should be more concerned about getting sued by one of the parents. For people who have dealt with the issue, this may hit close to home. For me, I get the sense of dread and frustration and hopelessness. It's like a cult where these young people get trapped by it.