Gaspar Noé, the filmmaker known for pushing boundaries with works like Irreversible and Enter the Void, is already deep into production on his next project, a 1990s-set dance drama titled Psyché. The film, which carries a budget of approximately $3.1 million, began shooting recently and is slated to wrap this month, according to a posting from the financier Tax Shelter Belgium.
The synopsis from the financier describes a group of about twenty urban dancers who gather in the mid-'90s for a three-day rehearsal at a closed-down boarding school in the middle of a forest. Their intention is to share one last dance, but the event spirals into a nightmarish experience. After a large sangria bowl, the atmosphere turns charged, and a strange madness grips them through the night. Convinced they've been drugged, they don't know by whom or why, and they find themselves unable to resist their neuroses and psychoses, numbed by the hypnotic and increasingly electric rhythm of the music. While some feel as if they're in paradise, most plunge into hell.
This description aligns with Noé's signature brand of dark psychedelia, a theme he explored in his previous work, including the 3D feature Love, which some critics felt leaned too heavily into romanticism. With Psyché, Noé appears to be returning to the darker, more chaotic territory that defined his earlier films.
Production Details and Secrecy
Despite the production being underway, there has been a notable absence of casting announcements, on-set photos, or social media posts from the production team. This level of secrecy suggests the project is either being kept deliberately under the radar or that plans may have shifted. Regardless, the entire film is expected to be completed by June, which could position it for the fall festival circuit.
The film's budget of $3.1 million is modest by industry standards, but typical for Noé, who has often worked with smaller budgets to maintain creative control. The lack of public information about the cast adds an air of mystery, but given Noé's track record, the project is likely to attract attention once more details emerge.
Noé's previous film, Love, was notable for its 3D format and its explicit content, which sparked debate among audiences and critics. With Psyché, he seems to be returning to a more visceral and unsettling narrative, one that explores the darker aspects of human psychology under the influence of drugs.
As the production wraps this month, the film community will be watching closely for any updates. If the June completion target is met, Psyché could premiere at one of the major fall festivals, such as Venice, Toronto, or New York. For now, fans of Noé's work can only speculate about what the filmmaker has in store, but the synopsis alone suggests another intense and thought-provoking experience.
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