Anthology films are interesting because it’s not just one film on screen– it’s multiple stories, one after the other, that might have different plots, but share similar themes, ideas, and styles that the filmmaker(/s) would like to display. Involuntary does have five separate short films, but rather than play one by one, writer-director Ruben Östlund chops them up and alternates between them, starting with small instances where the group pushes someone into a behavior, then eventually escalating and accelerating into much more difficult consequences. This makes for a very slow start to the one and a half hour film, but it also allows Östlund some scope, with this simple group dynamic directly affecting larger ideas such as public morality, masculinity, and high-risk behavior in teens amongst others.
In several unrelated stories, the consequences of putting one's foot down – or failing to do so – are explored.
Five stories demonstrate Swedish group dynamics. A host gets an injury from one of the fireworks, but he refuses to go to the hospital. Two teenage girls test their limits with alcohol and lascivious behaviour. A teacher is caught in the middle when she witnesses a colleague mistreating a student. An actress damages something on the bus, while the driver demands a confession from the passengers.
The way no one stands out. For most of the shorts, plenty of the actors are shot without a clear glimpse of their faces, sometimes even forgoing names altogether, and they all act in ways familiar to us.
This film feels like a social experiment.
Cannes
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