Outré horror maestro Peter Strickland is back. The filmmaker behind such Eurotica, vintage, throwback classics such as “Berberian Sound Studio” (2012), “The Duke of Burgundy” (2014), and “In Fabric” (2018), returns to the Berlin Film Festival this week (today, in fact), with his latest deliciously bizarro offering, “Flux Gourmet.” The premise? Something like beef within the culinary/sonic art collective world and a whole set of egos and intestinal issues.
READ MORE: Flux Gourmet’ Teaser Trailer: Peter Strickland Returns With A New Gastronomical Horror
Here’s the brief official synopsis: At an institute devoted to culinary and alimentary performance, a collective find themselves embroiled in power struggles, artistic vendettas, and gastrointestinal disorders.
“Flux Gourmet” stars Asa Butterfield (“Sex Education”), Gwendoline Christie (“Game of Thrones”), Ariane Labed (Yorgos Lanthimos collaborator and partner), Fatma Mohamed (his ace-in-the-hole genius from “In Fabric”), Makis Papadimitriou, Leo Bill, and Richard Bremmer. And what’s more, we have an exclusive look at the tastefully designed teaser poster below, which features Christie front and center.
Hilariously, Strickland told Variety this week about the story of making “Flux Gourmet”—a financial backer on “In Fabric” telling him he would fund whatever he wanted to make next. “When I showed them the script, they ran a mile,” Strickland recalled. “They said, ‘Do whatever you want, but not that.’” Strickland eventually found other financiers. Given how bold and uncompromising his work usually is, that sounds about right.
Here’s a more extended form synopsis from IFC with more details:
A sonic collective that can’t decide on a name takes up a residency at an institute devoted to culinary and alimentary performance. The members Elle di Elle, Billy Rubin, and Lamina Propria are caught up in their own power struggles, only their dysfunctional dynamic is furthermore exacerbated when they have to answer to the institute’s head, Jan Stevens. With the various rivalries unfolding, Stones, the Institute’s ‘dossierge,’ has to privately endure increasingly fraught stomach problems whilst documenting the collective’s activities.
Upon hearing of Stones’ visits to the gastroenterologist, Dr. Glock, Elle coerces him into her performances in a desperate bid for authenticity. The reluctant Stones puts up with the collective’s plans to use his condition for their art whilst Jan Stevens goes to war with Elle over creative differences.
“Flux Gourmet” debuts at the Berlin Film Festival today (look for our review near the end of the day). IFC Films is planning on releasing the movie in the U.S. later this summer. Check out the exclusive poster below and watch the recently released teaser trailer if you haven’t already seen it on repeat.
