Enter the Void

We promised to never leave eachotherYou can't tell me A$AP Rocky wasn’t inspired by this movie. I’m not sure I fully understood what the fuck was going on, but I fucking loved it so much. It’s overwhelming but peaceful and quiet at the same time—it’s a lot and it’s everything, but it’s also nothing. I don’t know if I’m making sense, but try watching the movie and describing it. The visuals and themes are different, and maybe that’s the point. For me, it’s a lot about trauma and time. It’s shocking when you realize what we’ve been seeing is this guy slowly dying and bleeding out, with only his life flashing before us. The film is detailed and thought-out. One of its most-used techniques is repeating the same events randomly. The narrative is special—we start in Tokyo, knowing nothing about the dude until he’s gone. Then we learn to care about him and who he was. It’s like symbolizing how we never truly care for what we have until it’s gone. After he’s gone, we see his past, present, and future in a psychedelic way. I don’t think, until the last scene, that Oscar was really reincarnating. It’s deeper. The little zooms and repetitions of words and scenes show him searching for meaning in his life, a reason for his existence and death. As these memories get trippier and more confusing, he’s dying and fading away with his memories. The movie constantly repeating the pact is the guilt he feels for leaving his sister, the guilt of dying, and the regrets he has because he never truly found a home or peace in life. The movie is an exploration of both life and death, an exploration of the human brain, soul, and consciousness, and what the fuck our existence is worth. It’s immersive and really puts you in Oscar’s place—you’re forced to, as the whole movie is in first person. You’re not really in his body but in his consciousness, hearing his thoughts and seeing what happens after death, which is honestly pretty fucked up. One of the most striking aspects of Enter the Void is its unflinching exploration of the human psyche. The film doesn’t shy away from depicting the darker aspects of existence—addiction, loss, guilt, and the inescapable pull of the past are central. But it doesn’t resolve these questions and actions, leaving everything for interpretation. The film’s images speak louder than its dialogue, making it feel real and human, a “make it yourself” movie where everyone’s interpretation is valid, depending on their fears, beliefs, and experiences. Memories and trauma in this movie aren’t just psychological but are deeper connections, interlinked with our sense of being and existing (I hope I’m making sense). I think in this movie, memories are living beings—maybe animals or entities that shape our existence, reality, and afterlife. That’s my favorite aspect of the movie: it’s terrifying and mesmerizing, one of the best theories of what happens after death, offering a more beautiful but still horrible view of life. What surrounds us shapes what will happen to us, our afterlife, and maybe where we land. Technically, the movie is another masterpiece. It’s peak everything. It’s one of the most surreal, experimental films ever. Noé really was fearless, testing new things and ways of making movies, pushing the boundaries of cinema in visuals and sound. The film is shot almost entirely from a first-person perspective, with the camera often taking on the point of view of the main character, even after his death. This creates an immersive and often disorienting experience, as you’re placed directly into the character’s consciousness. The cinematography and camera work are perfect—the use of very long, unbroken shots and technical tricks makes the movie feel like three takes. It’s bonkers. The camera barely stops, zooming in and out, spinning aggressively, doing every possible movement, making everything feel dreamy. The color grading is amazing—it feels like a nightclub (a fair amount of the movie does take place in one), with vibrant and unsettling neon palettes of Tokyo nights. The blinking lights too—if you have epilepsy, skip this one. The film’s visual style is heavily influenced by psychedelic art and the neon aesthetics of urban Japan, resulting in a sensory experience that’s as hypnotic as it is overwhelming. Unlike most films where CGI is used for realism, Noé uses it to make things more unrealistic, surreal, and confusing (when that smoke first appeared, I thought the guy was smoking a cigar from her pussy). The CGI allows the camera to move in impossible ways—it floats through walls, flies through the city. It’s amazing because we spend the whole movie just levitating, basically a POV of a ghost wandering through his own memories and time. This visual fluidity reinforces the film’s themes of transcendence and the blurring of boundaries between physical and spiritual realms. It’s a bold artistic choice that pays off, creating a sense of continuity and connection between the different planes of existence in the film. The sound creates the atmosphere too—it serves two purposes: to keep you on edge, with sudden shifts in volume and tone, and to fit the cyberpunky aesthetic of Tokyo while enhancing the disorientation and unease throughout the film. Overall, Enter the Void is a mind-blowing experience. It’s very overwhelming thats for sure but also somehow peaceful representstion of trauma, time, and the human mind so basically peak. The movie follows a guy dying and reliving his life in a trippy, psychedelic way and it first-person perspective that immerses you completely, making you feel like you're inside his consciousness. Visually, it's insane—vibrant neon Tokyo nights, surreal CGI, and constant camera movement create a dream-like vibe. The film doesn’t answer all the questions it raises, leaving you to interpret its meaning based on your own experiences. It’s experimental, unsettling, and one of those films that sticks with you long after it’s over.