High-Rise (2016)

[Arkwright99]

Saw High-Rise at the weekend and really liked it. Stylistically it's very obviously influenced by Kubrick and Cronenberg (Dead Ringers as much as Shivers), which may account for some of the more extreme reactions to the film (Kubrick I find can be something of an acquired taste for some people) but it's nevertheless a wholly Ballardian movie despite (or more likely because of) that. Not having read the novel (despite owning a copy for yonks) I can't say how faithful or not the film might be but it was everything that I hoped a Ballard adaptation would be. Terrific performances from the cast and wonderful cinematography. Will definitely be getting the Blu-ray when it drops.

[Keef Monkey]

I've only read one Ballard book, and it wasn't High Rise (it was Unlimited Dream Company). The film really reminded me of the tone and atmosphere of that book though, that weird surreal other-wordly-ness of it that stuck with me.

Already shared my thoughts on the 'last movie watched' thread but in brief I think it's a really great, unique film. My one gripe was that the collapse occurs almost immediately on Laing moving in, I didn't feel like I got any time to get comfortable with the situation or the setting before it all started crumbling. It makes the whole thing quite disorienting. The more I think about it the more that seems like the point though, that choice meant that I felt really off-kilter for the whole movie. It has a very woozy atmosphere that left me feeling quite peculiar actually.

I'm going to give the book a go now, my wife had read it beforehand and hinted that they've changed quite a bit in the adaptation (removing and adding characters etc.) but that it had been a very successful interpretation.

[Michael Knight]

Caught this the other night and it was interesting to say the least. Wouldn't mind checking out the book!