TBA Studios gets rights to Cannes winner Triangle of Sadness

TBA Studios has acquired the exclusive Philippine theatrical rights to this year’s Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness. A theatrical release date in the Philippines has yet to be announced.

Directed by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness follows fashion model couple as they embark on a luxury cruise adventure. All appears fine at first, until the cruise ends catastrophically and they wind up stranded on a desert island with a group of billionaires and a cleaning lady. In the fight for survival, old hierarchies are turned upside down since the cleaning lady is the only one who knows how to fish.

The movie received an eight-minute standing ovation during its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Film critic Robbie Collin gave it five stars and called it “a bold and brilliant film.” ING’s Ryan Lesto wrote, “Triangle of Sadness is a comedic tour de force from a director who really understands how to wage a tremendously funny class war. Mr. Östlund’s cringe-inducing humor pairs well with some genuine laugh-out-loud moments to create an all-around hilarious social satire.”

Critics also praised the performances of the ensemble cast, most notably Filipino actress Dolly de Leon’s breakout performance as Abigail, the yacht’s cleaning lady. Variety’s Clayton Davis describes her performance as “Oscar-worthy,” suggesting that Ms. De Leon’s defining supporting performance deserves recognition from the Academy Awards in the US.

A veteran actress in theater and television, Ms. De Leon describes herself as a “bit player” and is known for playing a variety of roles in local dramas.

The movie also stars Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson, Henrik Dorsin, Zlatko Buric, Iris Berben, Sunnyi Melles, Vicky Berlin, and Oliver Ford Davies.

Triangle of Sadness is produced by Plattform Produktion and Coproduction Office.