A woman with an obsession with cars poses as the missing son of a fire captain in Titane. As a child, Alexia (Agathe Rousselle) got into a car accident, resulting in a titanium plate being implanted in her skull. This leads to an unnatural connection to cars, which she uses to great success as a gyrating showroom model. However, following an unexpected pregnancy that leads to a murder spree, Alexia goes on the run and she decides to post as Adrienne, the missing son of lonely fire captain Vincent (Vincent Lindon). While trying to keep her true identity a secret, Alexia/Adrienne develops an unexpected bond with Vincent.
Titane is the Palm D’or-winning sophomore film from writer/director Julia Ducournau (Raw) and is a story that cannot be classified under a single genre. On one hand, this is a film that features grotesque metallic body horror that is almost a cross between David Cronenberg’s Crash and Shin’ya Tsukamoto’s Tetsuo: The Iron Man. On the other hand, the film is a tender drama about the bonding between the now very androgynous protagonist of Alexia/Adrienne and their “father” Vincent.
If there is one word that I can describe Titane is that it’s a very messed up film that can only be described as “French.” Within the first half-hour of the film, we see the protagonist Alexia literally have passionate sex with a car, before going on a brutal killing spree. After that initial craziness, the plot Titane calms down quite a bit, despite occasionally returning to body horror with Alexia’s very unnatural pregnancy. Overall, Titane is definitely not a film for everyone, but it is also one that will stick in your mind.
Titane is screening as part of Midnight Madness at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival
Related Links
Trailer for Titane – TIFF21
