Woody Harrelson's gross-sounding new movie gets 8-minute standing ovation

Charlbi Dean and Harris Dickinson in Triangle Of Sadness — (Image credit: Fredrik-Wenzel ©Plattform)

Woody Harrelson's gross-out new movie Triangle of Sadness wowed critics at Cannes Film Festival recently, earning an eight-minute standing ovation.

According to Variety, the film left viewers "shrieking" in both horror and delight – and yet, still, the clapping beat out the reaction to Tom Cruise's long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which had audiences applauding for five minutes.

Written and directed by Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness sees two models, a cleaning lady, and a bunch of billionaires get stranded on a desert island after the luxury yacht they were all on sinks. Harrelson plays the boat's alcoholic captain, while Charlbi Dean and The King's Man star Harris Dickinson bring Yaya and Carl, the celebrity couple, to life.

One sequence in the movie sees the yacht's snobby, high-profile guests get their comeuppance as a storm leads several of them to succumb to seasickness. In the 15-minute scene, the boat begins to sway violently as those on board are served oysters and other seafood dishes. Before long, many of them are seen vomiting and pooping in graphic detail, which reportedly lead to three attendees walking out of the Palais theater and the rest erupting into laughter. That's not the only disgusting moment in the film either, apparently, though it's best that some things remain a surprise.

"What a wonderful screening," Ostlund gushed as the credits rolled. "What an ensemble we had. Thank you so much!"

In our review, Total Film described Triangle of Sadness as "blisteringly funny, narratively intrepid and plain old spitting mad". Neil Smith continues: "Subtle this certainly isn't, and Östlund could hardly have chosen an easier or more deserving target than the obscenely, thoughtlessly wealthy. After a so-so few days of underwhelming Palme d'Or contenders, though, there is no question Triangle Of Sadness has given the festival the invigorating shot in the arm it sorely needed."

Wanting more Total Film coverage from Cannes 2022? Check out our reviews of George Miller's Three Thousand Years Of Longing, Holy Spider and Armageddon Time.

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.