A dark comedy pitched somewhere between “bleak” and “soul-destroying,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ 2009 DOGTOOTH was not for the faint of heart. For those attuned to its nihilistic sense of humour, though, the Oscar-nominee for Best Foreign Language Film became a favourite example of just how far a filmmaker could push the boundaries of good taste.

With his followup, Lanthimos has gone farther still. ALPS is even more bleak than DOGTOOTH, if that’s possible, centring on a group of professional stand-ins who take the place of lost loved ones, from spouses to pets. If the comic potential of such an enterprise in human misery isn’t immediately obvious, don’t worry – ALPS is also shockingly funny, drawing unexpected humour from the most harrowing of situations. Impossibly enough, Lanthimos has managed to surpass himself on all sides: he has gotten funnier, more cynical, more pointed and more horrifying.

Some films are crowd-pleasers, lighthearted romps that are fun for the whole family. ALPS is not that film. Like DOGTOOTH, it’s likely to elicit equal parts anger, confusion and fascination. If you have a taste for the extreme, though, ALPS is an experience you won’t want to miss.