Film: High Rise

Critically acclaimed director Ben Wheatley returns with his new film, High Rise. Adapted from the quintessential novel of the same name by J.G Ballard, High Rise follows the residents of an elite tower block who begin to slowly turn on each other after their utopian infrastructure begins to collapse. Though the film remains faithful to the novel, the narrative is strictly where the similarities end. Bypassing the methodical and tight prose of the source material, Wheatley relishes in the nihilist decadence of the tower’s residents. The aesthetics are diamond-sharp, leeching metal and glass in every corner as a stark reflection of the fragility of contemporary society through delicately composed set-pieces. Though the film remains difficult and challenging, its transition to the cinematic medium is nonetheless highly commendable and High Rise continues to stand as a sleek, dystopian fable.