The Great Buddha+ (2017)

The Great Buddha+ is one of those rare films that can make you laugh, wince, and then sit in uneasy silence—all while looking absolutely gorgeous doing it. It starts as a deadpan hangout with two working-class night-shift buddies killing time, but its sly narration and inventive dashcam perspective turn their boredom into a razor-edged satire of power, money, and the casual cruelties people accept as “normal.” The vibe is pitch-black yet oddly tender, surreal without losing its human pulse, and consistently funny in that “I can’t believe they went there” way. It won’t be for viewers who want comfort or clean moral lines, but if you’re in the mood for a poignant, relevant comedy that bites hard and lingers longer, this one earns your attention.

The Great Buddha+ is aiming for a deadpan, socially aware satire, using two night-shift nobodies and some very uncomfortable voyeurism to poke at class, power, and hypocrisy. If you need a clear plot, big emotional beats, or characters that feel fully fleshed out, this can come off confusing and shapeless, more like a mood and a message than a story that “goes” somewhere. The humor is intentionally dry and the pacing is unhurried, which will either feel quietly hypnotic or just plain uninspired depending on your patience for slow-burn arthouse filmmaking. That said, if you enjoy bleak comedy, striking visuals, and films that let discomfort linger to make a point, it has enough bite to be worth your time.