“If Jesus came back and saw what was being done in his name, he’d never stop throwing up.”
synopsis
In the early 1980s, a circle of recent college graduates orbit Manhattan’s fading disco scene while navigating workplace hierarchies, romantic rivalries, and fragile friendships. As the nightclub era wanes, so too does their illusion of effortless youth.
pairs well with ...
mini-review
Stillman closes his unofficial “yuppie trilogy” with a film that is less about disco than about social positioning. Conversations crackle with wit and self-awareness, masking insecurity and class anxiety. The nightclub becomes a symbolic arena — a place to perform confidence before stepping into adult reality. The film balances satire with affection, observing social rituals without cruelty. It’s sharp, talky, and quietly elegiac about a moment slipping away.
A reflective mood about youth fading
Viewers who enjoy social satire
A late-night watch with atmospheric music
Fans of literate ensemble dialogue
Absurdist's Corner
An entire social ecosystem rises and falls over access to one velvet rope.
fun facts
The final installment of Whit Stillman’s trilogy after Metropolitan and Barcelona.
The film’s title references the decline of disco culture in New York.
Dialogue-driven scenes are Stillman’s trademark.
Chloë Sevigny became associated with indie cinema in the late 1990s.