Euphoria (I) (2017) User Reviews

Just a couple of pointers to IMDb

[ronw-08814 · 7/10 · 8 June 2018]

Just pointing out IMDb's classification genre as adventure, drama. There is no adventure at all but a heck of a lot of well-acted drama. Secondly, plot synopsis "Sisters in conflict travelling through Europe toward a mystery destination.". Well, there is a tiny bit of travelling (car trip), but not through Europe and the mystery destination is arrived at about 15 minutes into the movie.

Not giving anything away here but I thought it was a well-acted drama on a contemporary and, for some, controversial subject. I "enjoyed" it but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

'In the end we are all pathetic' Mr. Daren (Charles Dance)

[Weirdling_Wolf · 7/10 · 30 April 2022]

Dusky Alice Vikander and a deadly pale Eva Green play estranged sisters who are somewhat uncomfortably reunited at an isolated, picturesque resort in some lush european idyll, a seemingly genteel environment wherein the well-to-do terminally sick are sensitively given the freedom to facilitate their own death in this conspicuously new-agey, spa-like environment. Acclaimed Writer/director Lisa Langseth's earnest, handsomely shot drama deals tastefully with a contentious theme that evocatively translates into austere, contemplative, if not consistently gripping cinema.

There's a curiously detached quality to the film-making, as though coolly observing the final anxious days of the desperately ailing Emilie (Eva Green) from afar, but the acting is of a high standard, and there are a number of earthy, well-written exchanges between the grieved, antagonistic sisters which rang true, and the always wonderful, preternaturally graceful Charlotte Rampling effortlessly expresses her inimitable gravitas. To be blunt, talky, introspective films about the weighty emotional complexities of assisted suicide are, by definition, going to be a niche affair, but I sincerely applaud Langseth for making it, and the final fragile moments of Emilie's bespoke 'leaving' was certainly impactful.

Great performances from the lead actor/actresses

[mwsmbngsimon · 7/10 · 24 June 2018]

It's a great watch, starts off alittle bit boring and insensible probably because when u read the title "Euphoria" and the plotline, you expect something else.

I loved the individual performances from the lead actresses and the actor in the supporting role. In the start of the movie, I was pissed that I couldn't see any chemistry between the two sisters but as the movie preceded it was totally justified. The polarities of the two sisters was just amaizing, one fighting hard to keep her demons buried and the other one freely expressing her emotions. Charles Dance, what an amazing actor! his supporting role was just on point and fit right in the mix up.

You want to watch a sad movie that is well crafted and the performances are on point, I suggest u watch Euphoria.

I don't understand the bad reviews

[mariamru · 6/10 · 17 June 2018]

To me we don't see very often movies about dead and illness from this perspective. That's why I think it's not a common script and I like that despite it's a little bit slow.

Fun times (not)

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 18 October 2018]

Euphoria this isn't. Well not in the sense you may think at least. More of moral bliss, enjoying certain things in life in a quieter fashion. I did not read what this was about, but even so you can feel a weight on Eva Greens shoulders when she meets up with Alicia Vikanders character. Two different people and yet related, with quite some past.

Of course that past will unravel and unfold during the running time of the movie and while some things feel petty, it's still human emotions. And then you have decisions that are being made against the will of a character and other things that may make you wonder ... many things not just about life. Depending on your state of mind, on your current situation and other things

Maybe i was not in the right mood for it

[sjalkarjadottir · 5/10 · 1 December 2018]

I was bored .. plain and simple. The story is beautiful, the emotions are there, the acting is great .. and the cinematography is spot on.

There are no surprises in the story, no twists. It is straight forward at a brisk pace towards the conclusion.

But you kind of have to be in the mood for a story about existence, questions of meaning, value of life and the human psyche - or you will likely be - bored.

That does not mean that the story was flawless. I couldnt stand the protatonists as well as most of the side characters. They were all terrible - as in terrible people. Lacking communication skills as well as coping mechanisms.

I also did not like the cult like setting .. with its somber mood and kind of "numbing filter" over everything. (kind of muted sounds, slow movement and all) and also poor world building. You do not see enough people that are not "protagonists" of this resort but that keep it running .. people that would be the polar opposite of the residents, people with meaning and purpose .. a side effect that should affect the entire "life" there.

Anyway, i could write up plenty of problems i had with the movie as a story .. but as i said, mainly because i was not in the mood for it.

Self-reflecting and easily controverse

[Dusan_Indjic-Luigi · 6/10 · 8 June 2018]

The movie is made around seemingly simple story, but also with depth into it. Strange, bald and bizarre idea many will consider morbidly grotesque. Strong and difficult subject many could connect to euthanasia controversy - time to die - not rarely being treated as taboo. From different points of view of someone close, story puts us into very personal self-reflecting processes put only into a few days left for characters to confront their fears and prices. While the movie explores it mostly through their different lives of two sisters and confronted paths. It also gives a viewer introspective and self-reflection. Aside of shady intra-family relationships, there's an interesting spectrum of characters in the surrounding, showing how various and sometime even offensively different personal approaches to values, life and death can be. Made me think how someone's deepest struggle can be trivial to other, plus these days ever opened question of: altruistic Goodness/Openness vs. egoistic Badness/Selfishness... "Is there justice?"; fear "A" vs. fear "B" - how the viewer can project through many "conceptual approaches to The Ending" and through self-reflections in this sort of presented "prolonged euthanasia" process. I think the movie is a bit difficult and not for everyone's taste (simply too morbid and even grotesque so). But for others, it may put some hard thoughts into this ever-steep perspective. So as for me, may we come to the conclusion: that we should all be glad for what life gave us.

Depressing Hotel California of Death for the Elite - acting okay directing trite

[filmtravel101 · 4/10 · 7 June 2018]

Thi s is one of those depressing dark stories that is almost too predictable and boring to really sit and enjoy. The 2 main actors are decent in this 2 dimensional story that really does not have much to say about the subject of death and family therapy. It is more like an Elite Hotel California where rich people go to die and complain about trite issues.... and 2 sisters go from being alienated to reconnecting - and that is about it.

The directing is good and the DP work excellent but the story just falls flat and unless you have had a death in the family or lost a loved one - perhaps it might have some deeper meaning but otherwise it is painfully slow and felt more like a play rather than a movie. Definitely not a commercial film and surprised that Vikander produced it but kudos to her for backing such an artistic dark film.

I give it 4 for the acting but would rate the story as a 1. Not really sure who these people are rating it in the 8 to 10 range.

A dark story

[zolizolidus-35734 · 7/10 · 2 February 2018]

This one is so difficult to review and write about without spoiling it.

I really like the story and all the actors show up and makes this an interesting story to follow.

I never seen Eva Green in such a dark character like this. I really enjoy what she puts on the screen but many time I have to think when I watch the movie. Is that really her ?

Charles Dance character is fantastic to watch. I really enjoy the talk he have with Alicia Vikanders character aside of his last scenes.

The photo is pretty and the music works well.

This aint a happy story to watch so if you are looking for something to cheer you up, this aint it. Im not much for taking sides in the controversial subject that this movie is about, but I figured that I really dont have to.

I can sit down and just take in the movie as it is.

I watched this at the Dragon in Göteborg at the Göteborg fesival and it was a great joy to listen to Alicia Vikander and Lisa Langseth doing a Q and A about the movie.

This was the third movie with Alicia and Lisa working together and the fist international movie for Lisa.

A little confused by the IMDb description

[bazookamouth-221-898097 · 5/10 · 21 September 2018]

Well this was a whole other movie than I expected reading the small synopsis from IMDb about two sisters travelling through Europe on an adventure. I found the movie a little uncomfortable to watch in particular the death scene of Eva Green character. Alicia Vikander as the confused sister was superb. I always find Charlotte Rampling a little bit creepy so this suited her this movie. Eva Green was unrecognizable from how she usually looks but she was playing a terminally ill character. Atmospheric setting, all in all, tedious but unusual movie. Slightly misleading.

Deep Meditation on Life and Mortality, Amazing Actors

[Blue-Grotto · 8/10 · 21 October 2017]

"To be one with the night," said the poet Gunnar Ekelöf "one with the crowds of flowers leaning out of darkness to listen to something I had on my tongue to say but never got said." Two sisters aim to get this chance, this moment together. Emilie is an extrovert, a New York photographer, and Ines is her polar opposite. They drifted apart in their adult years and Emilie is trying to pull them back together again with a mystery, luxury trip she is paying for deep in Eastern Europe. Ines agrees to go, yet comes to regret her decision when Emilie insists upon confronting their shared past and altering their future.

This deep meditation on life and mortality explores the nature of honesty and trust. It encourages us to live authentic lives, keep an open perspective and release internalized feelings. Actors Eva Green and Alicia Vikander are amazing, as is the supporting cast. I immensely enjoyed the classic introvert and extrovert clash. Even though it is a Swedish film, the actors speak English throughout. The soundtrack could have been better. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Somehow.....

[MovieIQTest · 8 July 2018]

The self-sponsored death rituals for the rich people could be well arranged to accommodate with their last wishes before going away from this world. It's like buying a prepaid gift card for yourself, but no matter what, you've got to have money to buy and pay for it out of your pocket. There are people celebrating their birthdays, there are people pay tribute to themselves for their long and short existences in this world before they leave it. But there's a basic catch; you've got to have enough money to do either or both. We saw so many poor people who didn't know what their next meals were, they were condemned once they were born. Living became their immediate burden, so their birthdays meant nothing but curses they didn't have any right to choose or refuse.

While what we've seen in this film about the prepaid arrangement for their earlier demises instead of their natural deaths were just so expensive, yet they would have the luxury to choose when and where to die unnaturally but peacefully. Death to these rich people seemed to be quite different from those condemned convicts to be executed with chemicals. Both rituals always got some witnesses when they drink their dosage to usher in the coma or to be injected with poisonous chemicals on the execution berth; the former choice we call euphoria, totally different from the scare-sh@tless death on the execution date.

I would and could never comprehend why a birthday is so important to most of the people, rich or poor, and why facing the death would be so scary and fearful.You have to put yourself to become an ant; they are too many and they are facing unnatural deaths all the time, they don't celebrate their birthdays or need money to prepay for their thoughtful arrangement of deaths. We people who are alive never let go of an ant, as soon as we see it, we just kill it without any hesitation. Suppose you could treat yourself like an ant, your birth or death would never have to become so important.

A healthy look at a poignant topic.

[sharoncthompson · 7/10 · 11 July 2019]

I can see how some people may think this film depressing. I myself did not take this view at all, finding the film surprisingly watchable and thought provoking. Based on a topic that is discussed with varying opinions, this film looks at the bare foundations without distracting from the inevitable. Well worth watching and not at all depressing depending how you look at life itself. Cinematography is amazing, acting is excellent, topic is an interesting well discussed issue and the film is very well done.

Very disappointing, as I am a fan of the two leads

[blrnani · 4/10 · 28 January 2021]

I'm afraid there is no way to discuss this film without spoilers, so I apologise for that. This is about two sisters who drifted apart after the family broke up. The father went off with another woman. The mother was broken hearted and went into meltdown. The older sister (Eva Green) was sucked into the whirlpool and spent an unhappy life looking after the fragile and suicidal mother and accumulating resentment towards her younger sister (Alicia Vikander), who refused to be sucked down with them and struck out on her own with an artistic career that was apparently quite successful. That is the back story. Now the older sister has persuaded her younger sibling to join her on a holiday (perhaps successful because the latter's career is in a downward trajectory and she needs the break). The destination is very mysterious and it turns out to be some kind of retreat. It appears to be an effort at bonding, so it comes as a shock for the younger sister to discover she has been invited to attend the final week of her sister's life. Not only that, but instead of an exercise in bonding, the older sister seems to have planned to discharge all that pent up resentment (which most likely is what is killing her) on her sibling. It seemed so unfair, as if the younger sister was supposed to carry the burden of the mother's and sister's anguish when quite clearly she was grieving herself and needed her own strong person with a shoulder to cry on. Charlotte Rampling was ostensibly that person, but unreliable, as she tricked her and locked her in a room to make her miss her helicopter exit from the hell she was going through. Like any prisoner who no longer sees any escape, she ends up going through the process and I dare say the older sister derived pleasure from seeing her weakened and suffering, which in its own twisted way appears to have enabled her to move on smoothly, but left me thoroughly disliking this film.

Boring !

[sparsh-hardik · 6/10 · 20 August 2019]

The story is half-baked and it lacks substance, although some dialogues are very meaningful. The character seems are wasted.

If this is you're film you'll love it. I didnt. I wanted to barf every 5 minutes

[boydpeters · 6/10 · 24 June 2018]

Poignant, reflective, silence, unspoken. Where is Terence Malik? They did a good job of making Eva Green look very Ill. Personally I couldn't warm to it because the sister was poor written as cliche sour. She was one dimensional to the detraction of the film. I couldn't make it to the end because I identify with going on a bender in Bangkok as my way out and not sitting naked on a swing listening to a string quartet. I get the string quartet. They wanted to make the whole dignity thing classy. For me it must made it nauseous. I figure it ends in a predictable way. If you are a middle aged woman who goes to art house films you'll love this. If you are the Subaru driving bearded husband who drinks Chardonnay with her you will tell her you loved it. It looks well done, just not my thing

Riddled with cancer

[Bgappl07 · 3/10 · 24 December 2020]

OK quite frankly I had no intention of writing a review about this movie because truth be told I had to stop it and go back to it about five times wasn't that it was incomprehensible it was that it was boring But something happened right in about the middle of it that angered me so much I'm writing this now We get to see the heroine's body almost right in the beginning of this riddled with cancer that's why she's there she's dying then in the middle she has an erotic experience with another sick person and that just infuriated me I had the misfortune to have a husband who died of stage four cancer when he was 42 years old believe me when I tell you and he was not mis- formed it was internal that there was absolutely no sex drive none So to see this romanticized on screen when this is not supposed to be a fantasy just hit me the wrong way As I stated this movie did nothing for me from the get go and when I got to this point that just clinched it for me. it's just not a good choice of a movie.

Could be useful for some.

[Clipster12 · 6/10 · 23 July 2018]

This film takes the best 5 minutes from Soylent Green and spins it into a full blown movie. Poignant.

A cure for wellness light.

[jimmycoffin-751-212853 · 5/10 · 7 June 2018]

Let,s imagine one of your family members had cancer. They take you to a remote suicde occult camp and then while on spot you get the news why youre there. well.. that,s a nightmare situation on it,s own. The warningsigns are emmediate for Alicia WIkanders role, and yet she goes along. the credability and realisism flies out the window in an instant. This is not a cure for wellness even though it shares the exact same concept

Hello, Dr. Kevorkian! Well, Not Exactly

[Easygoer10 · 6/10 · 7 October 2020]

(October 7, 2020) How you react to this film is very dependent upon how many loved ones have (or haven't) died in your life. I have a relevant (paraphrased) quote: "The only thing in existence which is guaranteed is change." I assume the most important issue for the cast and crew is that you have a reaction; hopefully one you can relate to. I certainly did. I had some issues with the grey and muted tones; also the soundtrack. However, the primary cast members gave very good performances. Definitely worth a watch.

Shallow

[ferdinand1932 · 2/10 · 9 June 2018]

With a script that has the maturity of a first year college rumination about meaning and life, this catatonic film shuffles like arthritic legs. If only it had been half as long it might have had made the endurance lighter for all.

The characters and the premise are faintly lifted from Thomas Mann's 'Magic Mountain', as seen by Peter Greenaway, with all the arch cleverness and consequent life taken from it because it lacks intellectual agility. It is mediocrity aspiring to be grand and deep simultaneously. The movie title itself anxiously announces that intention. The paradox in this context is a cliche.

The dialog is deliberately stilted, artificial, and as such, this heightens the effect of portent and significance but is an adopted gesture of such superficiality as to strain the attention and interest of a viewer.

And the grist of the narrative is a quasi Bergman reckoning of family happiness and enmity. It's triteness and source material are evident and make one return to the original rather than waste time with this third generation copy.

Family reunion

[laurent-milot · 10/10 · 11 September 2017]

Just out of the TIFF's world premiere of Euphoria, starring Alicia Vikander and Eva Green as main protagonists, two sisters vacationing for an unusual family reunion. This is a challenging movie to describe without spoiling it, but spoiling it is destroying its appeal, so I will just say that the actresses will take you on a roller-coaster of emotions, the cinematography is majestic, the supporting cast is full of surprises and that its subject is treated with an unusual mastery. The feminine touch of the director transpires everywhere in the movie, which gives it an unusual tone and daring sensuality. A fantastic movie to see absolutely!

Flop

[jeffheiden · 1/10 · 6 June 2018]

These reviews look to be written by relatives of the cast.. The acting is bad and the execution is worse, shallow and passé as if the dialogue was written by a teen. NOT worth the time. Look up reviews elsewhere as I can't even be bothered to expend the energy to go in depth on how disappointed I was with this garbage.

The norweigans have the upper hand in the movie industry any day in scandinavia, swedens movie industry is on about as high a level as their politics - straight down.

An interesting view of modern feminism.

[emp2687 · 5/10 · 13 May 2023]

Although it may not seem like it, the movie presents a view on everything that is wrong with the modern feminism.

Emilie has lived her life consumed by her father living and mother committing suicide over it. She has not married and doesn't have children. Now in her early 40s at death's door, she has no one to comfort her. She turns to the only person left in her life, her sister Ines. Ines has made difficult choices to move on with her life and not be consumed by the drama of her childhood and teenage years. Ines has a career, though just as Emilie, there doesn't appear to have a family. In her last days, Emilie rages against the "injustice" of life, though most of the things that have happened are the results of her own choices. Since Ines is the only person around, most of the rage is directed at Ines. Emilie blames Ines as much as possible, for not being more "helpful" with the suicidal and emotionally unstable mother, for loosing touch over he years, for Emilie not achieving more in her life and for Ines achieving more than Emilie has. The movie ends with Emilie dying with no one but Ines by her side. She disappears from Earth as if she was never there. No trace, no lasting memory will be left of her.

Eva Green marathon

[yusufpiskin · 5/10 · 24 May 2020]

After watching this, I realized I still know next to nothing about any of the characters and I feel nothing. Because how am I supposed to care about someone I have absolutely no connection to. So I feel the movie failed in drawing compelling characters and driving home the sort of philosophical message is was maybe kinda sorta going for. Also at ending scene is the worst my...