And while not exactly subtle, it’s an effective way of priming us for what comes next. Our would-be protagonist, Selva ( up-and-comer Sofia Boutella ) is both choreographer and dancer, but in reality Climax has next-to-no explicit character development — you will likely not remember, or even ever really know, anyone’s name. Still, the film manages to make every person in this dance ensemble feel like living, breathing people. They have petty dramas, relationships, power struggles, and grudges — some of which we overhear as the camera lingers over their conversation. Benoît Debie’s camera is almost constantly on the move, following this person, and then that one, carrying us from one group to the other, echoing the real dynamics of a party. Theirs is a crowd we have the privilege of spying on for a while, even as we remain outsiders. (For American viewers, this is true in more ways than one. A title card explicitly declares this to be a “a French film, and proud of it,” and indeed some of the overheard conversations would be unthinkable in a Hollywood film.)