Vortex (2021 film)

Vortex is a 2021 avant-garde psychological drama film written and directed by Gaspar Noé. It stars Dario Argento as a father and author, in his first leading role, alongside Françoise Lebrun as his wife, and Alex Lutz as their son, Stéphane. The film deals with the themes of the human condition and personal problems, uses a slow, minimal cinematic approach and is almost defiantly restrained: a pockmarked, faded palette of the frame, deaf voices, and the use of low-frequency background sound.

The film premiered in the Cannes Premiere section at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, to widespread acclaim from film critics, a departure from Noé's previous films which had received divisive receptions. Praise was given in particular for Noé's direction, Argento and Lebrun's performances, the film’s emotional power, scope, ambition and execution. This marked Noé's professional and creative shift from extremity to the slow cinema genre, with the use of realistic character drama.