I've been kind of ignoring British director Ben Wheatley after hating Kill List, which I didn't even finish. Watching this one, I'm pretty sure I need to go back. This very consciously hearkens back to Roman Polanski's Apartment Trilogy (Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby and The Tenant) and other films in that weird horror sub-genre (like David Cronenberg's Shivers). High-Rise isn't strictly a horror film, but, well, it's pretty close. Tom Hiddleston is the new tenant in a beautiful new high-rise apartment building in the 1970s (judged from the fashion; I don't think it's ever stated). He befriends the building's designer (Jeremy Irons) and several other tenants. He also makes some enemies. Some of the stricter rules imposed by Irons start to annoy some of the tenants (whose home floor determines their class status), and soon there is political upheaval. Soon after that, the building's whole society begins to collapse. I'm not 100% sure exactly what Wheatley is trying to say here - I do feel like I could use a re-watch. However, it's very amusing, very funny, and very beautiful to look at. Sometimes destruction and chaos can be quite beautiful. One of my favorites so far this year.
