Crash (1996)

A married couple with an active but unrewarding sex life delve deep into a bizarre subculture of people who fetishise car crashes. It's consensual within the group, but their hidden world is hazardous to our world.
Reading the J.G. Ballard novel (1973) upon which Crash is based isn't much fun, but it’s essential to understanding the otherwise impenetrable aspects of the film. Somehow Cronenberg translated the insipid moments into filmic intensity. He distorts the traditional role of the viewer by putting us too close for comfort, turning viewer into voyeur—a position of distanced participation. It’s uncomfortable and I believe the main reason that most people shy away from even discussing the film in public. It’s a shame, because it’s a powerful work with some outstanding acting, but it'll take a very open-minded person to see past the taboo wall.

3½ reshapings out of 5