Given the initial image that is presented before you for this latest mini-meh about a given film recently seen, you would be forgiven for thinking that High-Rise was some kind of porn film where all men were getting some form of high rise with various ladies. But actually no, sadly if it was a full on badly made porn film, it might have been more interesting. Not that it doesn’t feature sex of some sort, but basically this was one of the rare examples of film of which I have no idea what happens at the end of it.

Mainly as I didn’t stay to the end of the showing. It takes something special to actually make someone get to the point that they want to leave the cinema before they see the ending and this, was one of those times. Now for the record, I may have not been in the right frame of mind when it came to watching a film which seems to all purposes have been about the fall of society all perfectly contained within an apartment block.

It might have been that were I in a better mood, I would enjoy the 70s retro feel of everything while looking at what would happen within the social hierarchy when the basics seemingly fail, like working power and goods no longer being available for purchase, leading to a much more primal and dangerously ridiculous way of life.

However, on this occasion, while the film started out as being slightly bizarre with some funny moments which may have set the tone of things to come, this just failed to connect on any level and frankly was just f**ked up for the sake of it.

Maybe for the sake of winning awards, as often these things tend to be made for.

Pretty much reflects what I felt when watching.

The story for those who will be able to pay attention long enough, was that Tom Higginson stars as a doctor type person who just moved into a new building. He’s middle class and therefore on a middle floor, where you also have the poor on the lower floors and then you have the people with money on the upper floors.

Pretty much issues arise, along with a supermarket running out of produce for no reason at all and everyone slowly goes slightly mad. To the point where basically it was the mini version of the fall of Rome, where everyone just reverts to either hurting everyone, or f*cking one another with various others you will recognise like Thomas Jane as a toff nosed pr*ck and Elizabeth Moss from Mad Men. Hell, the only point the authorities show up is when someone kills themself and even then, they seem to just believe Jeremy Irons and not investigate any further. What the genuine f**k?

By the way, Elizabeth Moss is pregnant during most of the film, and she basically puts up with being married to a womanising wife-beater. But no worries, before she gives birth in what I thought was a cupboard at the time when watching, she gets f**ked by our Tom. So that’s alright then. To be fair, it does seem that sex makes a lot of things better. BOING!

While one may appreciate what they were going for, and the choice of the 70s setting perhaps adding to the style and mentality of all involved, it failed to truly get me invested and in the end, made me about as happy as a chronically depressed lemming. The last thing I can recall is Tom sorting himself out by cleaning up his burned out apartment before having dinner with the architect of the building, Jeromy Irons and at that point, all interest was lost.

The real question of just why did it all fall apart in my mind, is when all it was getting bad, why didn’t people just leave the building? You’re in a bad situation, why not go somewhere else? It was based in a f**king city, seriously no-one thought of just saying “Bugger this!” and just go? It makes no sense at all.

So could I say High Rise is worth the praise. Nope. But maybe, when in a different frame of mind, or perhaps when blind drunk, it would be worth a second viewing. If only to find out what the bloody point of it all was.