Satirical films are interesting in that they usually have mixed reviews. Half of the audience appreciate that kind of humour, and half either get irritated by it or it flys over the top of their heads. If you're reading mixed reviews for 'Triangle of Sadness', that's probably why - it was the same with 'Don't Look Up'. Social criticisms and experimental films will always divide audiences.

I loved Triangle of Sadness. I wouldn't be here reviewing it if I didn't. I certainly didn't feel the same about the new Top Gun, and stopped watching it after the first fifteen minutes because I hated it that much. So if you're the kind of person that prefers a Top Gun style movie, you'll probably hate 'Triangle of Sadness'.

The premise is this: two influencers find themselves aboard a luxury cruise when a storm happens, and disaster unfolds. Sounds alright, yeah?

But 'Triangle of Sadness' uses this action to unpick, criticise and satirise the uber rich, pointing out the shallowness, the hypocrisy, the naivete, the out of touchness with the rest of the world who work for them and deal with the knock on effect of their enterprising. Take, for example, the old English couple in the film who made money from weopons manufacture for 'democracy' all over the world, oblivious to the collateral damage until it quite literally blows up in their face. This self centredness and it's consequences run as a motif right through the film, such as when the influencer Carl complain about a member of staff because he feels jealous, only to see him sacked and evicted from the boat.

There is a certain level of madness and farce to the action, but that makes it rich with many delightful scenes, such as the rich woman who complains about the sails on the boat being dirty, even though it's a motorised yacht, or the German woman who, having had a stroke, can only shout: 'In der welten' - or 'in the clouds' - as clearly, everyone on the yacht is living in a world of illusion in their lofty grandeur.

The captain of the boat is played by Woody Harrelson, who, hearing the weather forecast, elects to have the captain's dinner in the middle of a storm. If you must forward wind through the slower bits, do just watch this extended scene, which is just brilliant. Here's the wealthy guests forcing down gourmet food that is constructed for the sake of it's expensive ingredients - caviar, octopus, truffles. Roe and seafood jellies jiggle on plates as the storm rages and glasses fly off tables, annd everyone begins to puke. Violently. Vomit projectiles. Yet still they stuff themselves, ignoring what's happening because they must glut at all costs. Champagne, anyone? Or champigon?

^{Vomit scene in Triangle of Sadness}

And whilst Woody Harrelson and a mad Russian lock themselves in the control room and discuss socialism, communism, philantropy and the uber rich over the loudspeaker, a literal river of shit runs down the halls.

How people perceive themselves is nothing that interests me. There are few that are gonna look in the mirror and say: “The person I see is a savage monster.” Instead, they make up some construction that justifies what they do. An there it is. You’re rich, so you’re a philanthropist, so you can cure your conscience of not paying enough in tax. Not contributing enough to society.

The scene is utter pandemonomium, utter chaos, utter mayhem, and an absolute hoot - in fact, I want to glut on it again. Never has vomit and shit been so hilarious. It's complete nonsense, but of course, so is the state of the world where the uber rich don't pay their taxes, live off the backs of the poor who barely get the trickle down, and are out of touch with everyone else.

The last section, without giving too much away, takes place on an island, carrying on some of the same thematic concerns of social hierachy, wealth, beauty and privilege. If you want to get ahead, you kow tow, you make moral sacrifices.

It's not hard to poke fun at such targets, as one review suggests, but Ostlund does it comically, wittily and hilariously.

I didn't realise at the time of watching, but I was saddened to hear that the actress who played Yaya, Charlbi Dean, died in New York of an infection in August last year. Devastating.