Review: HIGH-RISE Effectively Proves That Humanity’s Greatest Threat Will Always Be Itself

Based on J.G. Ballard’s 1975 novel of the same name, High-Rise is the latest from filmmaker Ben Wheatley and stars Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, Jeremy Irons, and Elizabeth Moss. Written by Amy Jump (who collaborated with Wheatley on Kill List, Sightseers, and A Field in England), High-Rise is a fascinatingly surreal cautionary tale of how class systems effectively break down and why society will always be its own worst enemy.

Set in 1975, High-Rise follows Dr. Robert Laing (Hiddleston) as he moves into a futuristic and luxurious apartment building in which residents are ranked by their stature in life and relegated to live on the floors the building’s architect and overseer, Anthony Royal (Irons), and his aristocratic associates see fit. The poorest folks live towards the bottom, the middle class reside above them, and so forth all the way up to Royal’s insanely intricate penthouse, complete with a rooftop garden big enough for his wife to ride her horses. Royal’s penchant for extravagance comes at a hefty price, though; as the lower levels of his supposedly idyllic and self-sustaining abode (containing a gym, grocery store, and more) begin to lose power and the residents rebel, eventually leading to a complete breakdown of the already fragile environment. The results are utter mayhem, madness, debauchery, and destruction.

At the beginning of High-Rise, Hiddleston’s character acts as an observer of those surrounding him in his new residence, giving Laing a bit of a cool detachment from his neighbors and their often violent and amoral actions. But the longer the physiologist lives in the domicile, the more he succumbs to its intoxicating nature, and we see how even an educated and confident doctor can resort to eating canine limbs and be perfectly okay with the dark turns his life has taken three months after moving into Royal’s experimental structure.

I’ve never read Ballard’s novel, sadly, so I can’t speak much to just how well Jump’s script captures the essence of his words. What I can say, though, is that despite being set in the mid-’70s, there is a prescient nature of the ideas presented visually in High-Rise that feels wholly relatable even now, proving that Ballard’s deconstruction of human nature over thirty years ago foreshadowed exactly what was coming in the future and that Wheatley was precisely the perfect talent to bring those ideas to the big screen.

As a character-driven exploration of societal collapse and the anarchy that always follows, High-Rise is captivating work from Wheatley, whose sublime, darkly comedic tongue remains firmly planted in his cheek throughout his latest film. There’s no doubt that a harrowing savageness exists in the pandemonium that overtakes the titular location, and that Wheatley takes such events seriously, but at the same time, High-Rise also features a bleak hilariousness that pulsates through the material, constantly reminding viewers that even though the world is an unfair playing field for most of us, you still cannot leave people to their own devices because our selfish inclinations will always take over.

Wheatley’s ability to embrace the story’s affective time period gives High-Rise somewhat of a hedonistic undertone, especially when we see orgies break out amidst the chaos and many social taboos being thrown to the wayside once there’s no one around (the rest of society, for example) to judge anyone’s misdeeds, akin to many of the social scenes that were popular during that time (Studio 54 and other famous nightclubs, for example). And as someone who grew up as part of the generation that directly followed that era, I found all those parallels in High-Rise highly fascinating to watch.

High-Rise also succeeds because of its great cast, who all bring something different to the table. Hiddleston, who may be best known for his work in the Marvel universe these days, is impressive and sheds any cinematic baggage he may have had coming into a role like Dr. Laing. He immerses himself so deeply into this character that you honestly forget you’re watching the same guy who was equally as mesmerizing in last year’s Crimson Peak. There’s a timelessness to Hiddleston that allows him to authentically portray characters from any era, ultimately making him a great choice for High-Rise as he once again slips into the past with relative ease.

Irons (who seems to be popping up a lot lately in films, something I could not be happier about) is also a perfect fit for the complicated dictator/architect who is unable to see the imperfections of his “perfect” creation and has little regard for the lesser lives it affects. Miller, who is a fine actress but hadn’t left much of an impression on me over the years, sizzles as Charlotte Melville, the smoking hot single mother who lives above Laing and knows all the dirt on what goes on inside the high-rise.

While there’s no doubt that Hiddleston is the “star” of High-Rise, it’s Evans as a frustrated filmmaker who wants to personally take down the oppressive Royal that left the biggest impression on me due to a fiery and maniacal performance that nearly steals the entire movie away from the rest of the brilliant ensemble. Evans is that great, and I do hope that Hollywood notices so that Evans gets more substantial roles here in the States (please, no more movies like Dracula Untold). Evans has been a longtime personal favorite of mine and it was cool to see Wheatley use his talents the right way (this is a perfect chance to remind you all to check out the criminally underrated revenge slasher No One Lives).

There are also a few other familiar faces that pop up during High-Rise: James Purefoy (The Following), Resident Evil’s Sienna Guillory, Eileen Davies (who was in Sightseers), and the lovely Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men), who is like a ray of sunshine every time she enters a scene.

Even though it does feel like it runs a bit long, High-Rise still remains a fearlessly crafted and complex exploration of class warfare, with Wheatley’s subversive nature as a visual storyteller complimenting the material exceedingly well. It’s easily the most ambitious work we’ve seen from him thus far, and for those of you who have enjoyed the director’s work over the years, chances are you’ll find High-Rise worth your time.

Movie Score: 4/5