The Cinematheque

“Once a viewer cracks its code, Alps opens up into something expansive and rich. Part of what makes Lanthimos so uniquely masterful is that he remains in control while refusing to point toward any singular interpretation.”

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times

The follow-up to Yorgos Lanthimos’s Oscar-nominated Dogtooth was another deep dive into group dysfunctionality, featuring mesmerizing performances from Weird Wave players Angeliki Papoulia (Dogtooth) and Ariane Labed (Attenberg). Winner of Best Screenplay at Venice, this enigmatic ensemble piece chronicles the activities of a secret society formed to ease the grieving process for bereaved families. Calling themselves the Alps, the outré therapy group — comprised of a gymnast, her coach, and two hospital employees — will, for a price, impersonate a client’s deceased loved one: resurrection by way of bespoke surrogate. The project is endangered when a member goes rogue and can’t dissociate from her role. Lanthimos, shooting in gauzy shallow-focus, wisely withholds crucial pieces of the puzzle. As in Dogtooth​’s hermetic world, dancing and pop music are imbued with uncanny significance. Original, absurd, and unsettling.

“Puzzling and provocative, Alps has a lingering power and an effect that is thrillingly difficult to define.”

Keith Uhlich, Time Out