The world presented often feels upside down, a place where surface appearances hold immense weight. We see this early on, where a male model's potential is judged not just on looks, but on the ability to project a certain manufactured feeling – shifting from approachable ease to haughty superiority on command. This isn't just about fashion; it's a mirror reflecting a wider societal obsession with image over substance, where expensive brands promise not just quality, but an illusion of belonging to a higher sphere. The absurdity is palpable: can a logo truly elevate status, or does the belief that it can reveal more about perceived lack than actual wealth? As one perspective suggests, perhaps true wealth lies not in large televisions but in large libraries – an investment in oneself rather than just the outer wrapper.

The Currency of Connection: When Money Talks and Love Listens (Poorly)

Relationships, too, become tangled in this web of pretense and unspoken tension. Consider the awkwardness surrounding a simple dinner bill. An agreement is made, then ignored. One partner, Karl, feels slighted but struggles to voice his frustration directly, resorting to nudging the check. The other, Yaya, deflects with practiced charm, turning his attempt at fairness into an opportunity to praise his "generosity"—a subtle manipulation that boxes him in. When the truth finally surfaces, it's met not with understanding, but with deflection and counter-accusation. "Why are you fixated on money?" becomes the defense against breaking a promise.

It highlights a common struggle: the difficulty many find in discussing finances openly. Yet, avoiding these conversations doesn't make the issues disappear; resentment builds, like pressure behind a dam, eventually bursting forth. The film suggests that honesty, even when uncomfortable, is crucial. Instead of complex arguments about gender roles and equality simply to avoid stating a financial boundary, perhaps a straightforward "I can't afford this right now, let's find another way" is the braver, and ultimately kinder, path. As a side character wisely notes (paraphrased): if you're afraid to be honest with your partner about what matters, you risk losing their respect, and perhaps, the relationship itself. Allowing manipulations to slide only invites more, testing the limits of endurance until an inevitable explosion of suppressed frustration.

All Aboard the Absurd: Status and Self-Worth on the High Seas

The desire for status and acceptance extends beyond personal relationships onto a grander stage – a luxury cruise. Here, the staff's eagerness for tips drives them to comical levels of subservience, ready to fulfill any request, no matter how bizarre, for the possibility of financial reward. It's a stark picture of how the pursuit of money can lead to self-humiliation for the prospect of wealth (tips), chasing the prospect of gain without any guarantee. We see wealth affording privileges, like the company of a beautiful younger partner, turning people into accessories that enhance an image. Even amidst the curated perfection, reality intrudes, symbolized perhaps by flies buzzing into frame during an Instagram photoshoot – tiny reminders of the unvarnished world beneath the glossy surface.

Arguments become performances too. Witness the drunken debate between the American captain championing communist ideals and a wealthy passenger defending capitalism. It's less a search for truth and more a clash of egos, illustrating how easily discussions devolve when listening stops and point-scoring begins. No minds are changed, only tempers frayed. It serves as a darkly comedic commentary on ideological battles detached from lived reality.

Survival of the Fittest: When the Hierarchy Flips

The ultimate test comes with disaster. Shipwrecked on a deserted island, the old rules vanish. Skills valued in the "civilized" world – walking beautifully, smiling winningly – are useless. Practical abilities, like making fire or catching fish, suddenly dictate worth. The cleaner, Abigail, possesses these skills and swiftly rises, inverting the social pyramid. Yesterday's servant becomes today's leader, dispensing food like treats to reinforce her newfound authority.

This dramatic shift reveals the conditional nature of social structures. The wealthy passenger, once a staunch capitalist, now quotes Marx, advocating for communal sharing – but only when it serves his current, powerless position. Abigail, having tasted control, isn't keen to relinquish it. Even personal relationships adapt to the new reality. Karl, ever passive, finds himself offered up by Abigail, turning to Yaya not for support, but for direction, essentially asking her to decide his fate. It's a pattern repeating: faced with a difficult situation, he seeks someone else to take responsibility, inadvertently diminishing himself.

This tendency to repeat patterns, even painful ones, is likened to the old parable of the Scorpion and the Frog. The scorpion stings the frog carrying it across the river, dooming them both, simply because stinging is its nature. Similarly, people often unconsciously recreate situations that elicit familiar feelings, even negative ones, because the familiar feels safer to the survival-focused brain than the unknown, even if the unknown holds potential for growth.

The Unshakeable Grip of Power

The discovery of civilization nearby presents a final, chilling dilemma. For Yaya, it means rescue. For Abigail, it signals the end of her reign. The prospect of returning to her former status is unbearable. Power, once held, is fiercely protected. The film leaves us contemplating this stark reality: ideals of equality often remain just that – ideals. When personal power or position is threatened, the instinct to maintain dominance, even through destructive means, can be overwhelming. It's a sobering reflection on the complexities of human nature and the persistent, often sad, triangles of power, status, and desire that shape our world.

References:

• Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. (Originally published 1899)

  This classic work introduces concepts like "conspicuous consumption" and "conspicuous leisure." It provides a foundational understanding of how wealth and status are displayed, often through non-productive or wasteful means, to assert social standing – a theme clearly visible in the film's portrayal of the wealthy guests and the emphasis on luxury brands. The analysis of how goods function as status symbols directly relates to the film's critique of consumerism and social hierarchy.