High-Rise is a 2015 British thriller directed by Ben Wheatley, starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, and Elisabeth Moss. The screenplay by Amy Jump is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by J.G. Ballard. It was produced by Jeremy Thomas through his production company Recorded Picture Company.
In September 2015, the film received its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and its European premiere at the 63rd San Sebastián Film Festival. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2016 by StudioCana
Plot:
The film opens with Dr. Robert Laing living in a ravaged apartment tower. He captures a white Alsatian dog and roasts it over a makeshift fire while sitting on his apartment balcony. The film proceeds to recount the events of the previous three months.
After the death of his sister, Laing moves into a 25th floor apartment within a new high-rise tower, a luxurious apartment complex built by esteemed architect Anthony Royal. The high-rise provides its tenants all of the conveniences and commodities that modern life has to offer: swimming pools, schools, a supermarket, a restaurant, and high-speed elevators. By the same token, there is little reason to leave the building, and its occupants (generally upper- and middle-class professionals, business people, and media figures) become increasingly isolated from the outside world, retreating instead into the tower's secure environments and parties. Before long, underlying antagonisms begin to emerge between the tenants, as does a loose system of social stratification amongst the different sections of the building: the posh upper-class who live on the topmost floors, the professionals who live on the middle floors, and the rabble-rousing poorer tenants who live on the lower floors.
After an encounter with Royal's aide, Charlotte Melville, Laing attends a party held in Charlotte's apartment directly above his. The next morning, Laing is invited to meet Royal, who invites him to attend a party held by his wife, Ann. Ann jokes about Laing's attire, and he is thrown out of the party by Royal's bouncer. On the way back a power failure causes Laing to become stuck in the elevator. Other technical faults begin to emerge throughout the high rise, and garbage chutes are clogged up. After a game of squash with Royal, the architect explains that these are merely teething problems.
Wilder manages to make his way to the penthouse, and shoots Royal after a scuffle. He is summarily killed by the women of the top.
The film ends as it began, with Laing eating the Alsatian. The women of the top have managed to form a new sort of society, Laing tends to people who are injured, then lies down with Charlotte in his arms, ready to greet the people of the new high-rise neighbouring them. The film ends with Toby, Charlotte's son (earlier revealed to be Royal and Charlotte's illegitimate child), listening to a speech of Margaret Thatcher.
Cast:
- Elisabeth Moss
- James Purefoy
- Keeley Hawes
- Peter Ferdinando
- Reece Shearsmith
- Sienna Guillory
- Dan Renton Skinner
- Augustus Prew
- Stacy Martin
- Louis Suc
- Eileen Davies
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