The following scene shows a volatile Marcus and a reluctant Pierre enter the Rectum in search of an individual known as Le Tenia. Two men are taken outside the club: Marcus, who is on a stretcher, and Pierre, who is arrested by the police. ĭuring a night in Paris, emergency personnel respond to an altercation at the Rectum, a gay BDSM club. American film critic Roger Ebert called Irréversible 'a movie so violent and cruel that most people will find it unwatchable'.

Critical reception to the film was mixed, with praise towards the performances and Noé's direction, but criticism towards its graphic portrayal of violence and rape. Released theatrically in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Irréversible competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and won the Bronze Horse at the Stockholm International Film Festival. The film is told in reverse order, with each scene taking place chronologically before the one that precedes it. Starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, and Albert Dupontel, it depicts the events of a tragic night in Paris as two men attempt to avenge the brutal rape and beating of the woman they love. Irréversible ( French pronunciation: ​ ) is a 2002 French psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Gaspar Noé.