Cate Blanchett plays Angela Merkel in the movie "Dance of the Titans"

As the heads of the seven leading industrialized nations gather for a group photo, they have no idea what awaits them at this summit: sheer horror. And I don't mean the usual procedures of a G7 meeting.

In "Dance of the Titans," an unspecified crisis demands the most uninformative statement possible from the government, who have come to Dankerode, Saxony, at the invitation of Chancellor Hilda Ortmann (Cate Blanchett). But first, the group dynamics must be worked on. "Remorse" is the theme set by the host.

Japanese Prime Minister Tatsuro Iwesaki (Takehiro Hira) regrets that he never learned to ride a horse, French President Sylvain Broulez (Denis Ménochet) tearfully confesses that he made life difficult for his father as a teenager, and Italian Prime Minister Antonio Lamorte (Rolando Ravello) regrets showing up at a party in a Mussolini costume.

The tone is set for a satire that is more dedicated to ridicule than to a biting critique of the international political establishment. Directed by the Canadian trio Guy Maddin, Evan, and Galen Johnson, the connection to reality remains vague.

Cate Blanchett evidently studied the real-life models closely in her preparations: Her German Chancellor is a mixture of Angela Merkel (blazer) and Ursula von der Leyen (hairstyle). The French President is more reminiscent of François Hollande than Emmanuel Macron. Charles Dance's decrepit US President is likely intended as a caricature of Joe Biden. Canadian Prime Minister Maxim Leplace (Roy Dupuis), who once had an affair with his British counterpart Cardosa Dewindt (Nikki Amuka-Bird), bears a vague resemblance to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

This is where the parallels to reality end. In any case, the story is headed purposefully toward surreal territory: The group soon finds itself in a vaguely apocalyptic scenario, fighting for survival in brightly lit forests.

Prehistoric bog bodies have risen from their graves, threatening political power as zombies and exploding impressively during collective masturbation. A brain the size of a small car is also found in the forest, as well as an EU Commissioner (Alicia Vikander) who appears to be possessed by alien forces.

Staging a G7 summit as a horror film sounds like a good idea. But "Dance of the Titans" has little substance to offer. The script feels like a brainstorming session, with its crazy contributions incorporated unfiltered into the script. The top-notch ensemble can do little to change that, as they clearly had more fun working on it than the audience of this trashy B-movie.

“Dance of the Titans”, directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, with Cate Blanchett, Denis Ménochet, 104 minutes, FSK 16