Exotica
In the upscale Toronto strip club Exotica, dancer Christina is visited nightly by the obsessive Francis, a depressed tax auditor. Her ex-boyfriend, the club's MC, Eric, still jealously pines for her even as he introduces her onstage, but Eric is having his own relationship problems with the club's female owner. Thomas, a mysterious pet-shop owner, is about to become unexpectedly involved in their lives.
Critics Sentiment
Eric reveals he and Christina found Lisa's dead body
Characters' damaged psyches and relationships slowly revealed
The film surges from its slowest, most frustrating middle section to the devastating revelation about Eric and Christina discovering Lisa's body.
Exotica builds slowly and methodically from an intriguing but deliberately opaque opening through a frustrating middle section where the pacing tests viewers' patience. The final act delivers a series of revelations that critics found devastating and masterful, completely recontextualizing the entire film and providing the emotional payoff that justified the careful buildup.
Full cast
Bruce Greenwood
Francis
Mia Kirshner
Christina
Don McKellar
Thomas
Sarah Polley
Tracey
Victor Garber
Harold
David Hemblen
Inspector
Peter Krantz
Man in Taxi
Arsinée Khanjian
Zoe
Elias Koteas
Eric
Calvin Green
Customs Officer
Damon D'Oliveira
Man at Opera
Jack Blum
Scalper
Billy Merasty
Man at Opera
Ken McDougall
Doorman
Crew
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