The Compelling Music Behind Gaspar Noé’s Climax

By Anna Valdez
Web Content Contributor

It’s shocking. It’s thrilling. It’s everything you’d expect from Argentine-French filmmaker, Gaspar Noé, and his new tale of dismay, Climax. Climax is a psychological horror dance film written, co-edited and directed by Noé.

The film takes place in the mid-1990s in an empty school where a group of dancers’ carefree dance rehearsal turns into a nightmare when they discover their bowl of sangria has been laced with LSD; now, they must figure out who’s responsible – all while experiencing a seriously terrifying trip.

Climax premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival on May 10, 2018 and won the Art Cinema Award. In addition to its critical acclaim, the film’s soundtrack has received praise from critics and movie fans alike. The original motion picture soundtrack has 18 songs, many of which are featured in the film.

You can listen to it here:

The first track – and my personal favorite – is “Supernature (Instrumental Climax Edit)” by Cerrone. The song was released in 1977 and is categorized into several genres: disco, R&B/soul, dance/electronic, funk and pop. What makes “Supernature” riveting is its element of obliviousness and creepiness, especially as its featured in the film’s first group dance scene. As a viewer, you get a glimpse of each person’s personality by the way they dance, all without giving too much of their actual character away.

At the same time, “Supernature” seems to hint at the terror that will soon plague the young dancers, all of who have no idea what’s coming to them. Unlike other films where we tend to judge a character by the way they act in their first appearance, Climax allows the viewer to make guesses about the characters before their true nature is revealed. The music is just another element of the film’s jubilance.

As the turmoil unfolds, we get a mix of wild and vibrant tracks that match the intensity of the storyline and the characters’ reactions to being under the influence of a psychedelic drug. Some of the more notable tracks include “Born to Be Alive – Instrumental New Version” by Patrick Hernandez, “Sangria” by Thomas Bangalter, “Voices” by NEON, “Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go – Extended Version” by Soft Cell, and “Angie – Instrumental Cover” by Thibaut Barbillon, all of which help make Climax the wild and chaotic ride that it is.

Climax is playing at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on South Lamar so be sure to catch it in theatres before it’s gone.

Featured screenshot taken by Anna Valdez via IMDb.com.