Pacifiction
Albert Serra
2022
162 minutes
Description
Winner of two Cesar Awards for Best Actor (Benoit Magimel) and Best Cinematography, PACIFICTION is a gripping atmospheric thriller from acclaimed filmmaker Albert Serra. On the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, the High Commissioner of the Republic and French government official De Roller (Magimel) is a calculating man with flawless manners. His somewhat broad perception of his role brings him to navigate the high end 'establishment' as well as shady venues where he mingles with the locals. Especially since a persistent rumor has been going around: the sighting of a submarine whose ghostly presence could herald the return of French nuclear testing.
Reviews
• Winner, 2023 César Awards: Best Actor (Benoît Magimel); Best Cinematography
• Cahiers du Cinéma No. 1 Film of the Year 2022
• Cahiers du Cinéma No. 1 Film of the Year 2022
• Winner, 2022 Louis Delluc Prize
“An immersive tropical thriller. One of the most beautiful and rigorously introspective movies of this or any year. It's one of the great experiences in cinema.”
— Indiewire
“An immersive tropical thriller. One of the most beautiful and rigorously introspective movies of this or any year. It's one of the great experiences in cinema.”
— Indiewire
“A gorgeous new movie. Stunning. Seductive. A filmmaker who’s thrillingly alive to the world he’s showing us.”
— Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
— Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
"Suggests John le Carré by way of David Lynch — a feverish and haunting but also wry and meditative rumination on power, secrecy and the color of clouds over water at sunset."
— A.O. Scott, The New York Times
— A.O. Scott, The New York Times
