5 years ago the world of horror, and even outside the genre, got shocked by the debut feature film of an unknown French writer and director named Julia Ducournau. The movie was called Raw (2016) [read our review here], “Grave” in the original French language, and it was an astonishing coming-of-age fable full of unexpected plot twists, a very dark family secret, and cannibalism. The movie was one of the most praised titles in all the events where it was screened and archived a long collection of nominations and awards in festivals like Austin Fantastic Fest, Cannes Film Festival, César Awards, Toronto International Film Festival, and Sitges Film Festival. And, after an experience such as that, the only thing one could have in mind is “I can’t wait to see what Julia Ducournau brings out next”. Well, we don’t have to wait much more.
For her second feature film, Julia Ducournau has had the budgetary and creative freedom a filmmaker like her needs to unleash her potential as a visual storyteller. Her new movie, Titane (2021), is set after a series of unexplained crimes, where a father is reunited with the son who has been missing for 10 years. And, as the official notes coming from the movie makes sure we remember, titane/titanium “is a metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys, often used in medical prostheses due to its pronounced biocompatibility”.
Garance Marillier, who was the main star of Julia Ducournau’s previous film Raw (2016), is also the protagonist in Titane (2021). Together with her, Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Laïs Salameh, and Dominique Frot also star.
Titane (2021) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 13 July 2021, and it was quoted as “one of the most extreme movies ever to compete in the festival’s official selection”. It was released in France by Diaphana Distribution on 14 July 2021. Neon has the USA distribution rights for the film. Here you can watch the official trailer for Titane (2021).
