Perhaps the golden times of the so-called New French Extremity wave of films are over, the scene that fascinated the world with a collection of intense and groundbreaking horror movies where Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs (2008), Alexandre Aja’s High Tension (2003) and Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void (2009) might stand out from a long list of deliciously sick movies. And although those filmmakers are still active releasing new works, and the new generations have managed to bring out excellent movies like Julia Ducournau’s Raw (aka Grave in original French language) (2016), the hype is diluted.
All the Gods in the Sky (2018), the translation of Tous les Dieux du Ciel in original French, might perfectly fit in the list of the New French Extremity if it had been released one decade ago. In it, a 30-year-old factory worker Simon lives a solitary existence on a decrepit farm in the remote French countryside. Devoting his time to caring for his sister Estelle, who was left severely disabled when a childhood game went horribly wrong, Simon is plagued by guilt and depression. But he sees a way out, looking to otherworldly forces as a means of liberating both himself and his sister from the corporeal prisons in which they are confined.
The movie is written and directed by Quarxx. This marks the debut feature film of the awarded filmmaker after the success of his short film A Perfect Blue Sky (2016), who achieved several Best Short Film awards in festivals like Fantasia Film Festival, Horrible Imaginings Film Festival, Paris Short Film Festival and Screamfest, and the nomination at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 for the Short Film Grand Jury Prize.
Jean-Luc Couchard, Melanie Gaydos, Zelie Rixhon, Thierry Frémont, Albert Delpy and Loïc Houdré are the main stars in All the Gods in the Sky (2018). The French production had a warm welcome during its festival run and it is scheduled to open in theaters the 15th of May this year in France. We will have to wait and see if it can also find its spot in the rest of the globe. In the meanwhile, here you can watch the official trailer:
