Titane is a movie that is like a car crash (no pun intended) that you just cannot look away from, no matter how disturbing it gets.
Titane has a lot of great elements to it, but it is definitely a film that will have audiences divided. Ultimately it is a story about family and human connections wrapped into a bizarre and strange story that has moments so grotesque you will try your hardest to look away.
The plot is a weird one. A young girl is in a horrible car accident and has to have a metal plate put in her head. Yes, they show this being done and yes, it is pretty gross. She grows up to become a car model and when she becomes pregnant things get very strange from here on out — or, stranger.
Honestly that is pretty much all I can say about the plot without spoiling too much but just know things get bizarre, weird, and off the wall, but also captivating, intriguing, and emotional. It is very easy to connect with the main character, even though there is a small chance you will be able to relate to her and her actions. She lays it all out on the line with her emotions and how she is feeling, making her a very raw and real character.
The longer this movie goes on, the more falls into place. At first it can be very confusing. Intriguing, but confusing. However once it hits the halfway point, chances are you are all in on Titane. Julia Ducournau writes and directs this movie and let me tell you, I am very excited to see where she goes from here.
This is a shocking, twisted movie that is shot beautifully. To take something so crazy and unexpected, and stick a real life lesson about family inside it is difficult to say the least, so it is impressive that Ducournau was able to do so.
In short, give Titane a chance. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but there is a valuable enough lesson inside about family that it is more than worth the watch. If you have an queasy stomach though, maybe don’t eat right before it.
About Titane
TITANE: A metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys, often used in medical prostheses due to its pronounced biocompatibility.
Written and Directed by Julia Ducournau.
Starring Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh.
NEON will release TITANE in theaters on October 1st, 2021.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.