Rating: 2.5/5
In a convoluted way, the film is a question that begins with Dreyer’s Days of Wrath — how do you artfully make a burning-at-the-stake scene with as much impact as Dreyer’s in the 21st century?
Noe’s answer is his answer to every question: strobe lights. However, the meta aspect of it being a malfunction, the constrained actors, and the terrible noise do have an impact
The luster fades with the in-between — the journey from the discussion to the execution. The simulated behind-the-scenes, where everyone is petty, hostile, or indifferent, is played out and would at least require someone with a sense of humor — I believe Noe wanted this to be funny
I also found all the interstitials of quotes from directors to be an unfortunate reminder of the artists who could have grounded this story so that the spectacle lands
In the end, I assume this was for Vortex, which I hear is also predominantly in split-screen