On digital: The Square — flawless account of a flawed society

Ruben Östlund, 2017

Plattform Produktion

The title of Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or-winning satire refers to a conceptual art installation which arrives at a trendy Stockholm gallery. The piece promises to engender altruism in all who set foot within it — and tellingly, we never see anyone do so.

Over an impeccably paced two-and-a-half hours, we’re exposed to a world defined by narcissism and hypocrisy, and populated by adults who behave like careless children, or, in one breathtaking scene, like brutish animals.

With his fifth film, Östlund has achieved the apotheosis of cringe-humour, much of it at the expense of curator Christian (Claes Bang), whose debonair persona is whittled away by a week of humiliations.

Boasting superb direction and performances (Elisabeth Moss and Dominic West support), The Square is an account of a flawed society delivered almost flawlessly.

★★★★★