Ruben Östlund Shocks Audiences, Defends Spoilers, and Turns Keanu Reeves Into a Deadpan Nightmare in The Entertainment System Is Down

Ruben Östlund doesn’t believe in protecting audiences from discomfort—or spoilers.

Fresh off an explosive presentation at the Göteborg Film Festival, the Triangle of Sadness director openly discussed major plot points, behind-the-scenes footage, and even the ending of his highly anticipated next film, The Entertainment System Is Down. A Cannes premiere is widely expected—but Östlund now admits it might not arrive until 2026… or even 2027.

And he’s perfectly fine with that.

“I Don’t Care How It Ends”

When asked why he revealed such crucial details so early, Östlund was unapologetic.

“When I hear about a great idea, I don’t care how it ends,” he said. “All I want to know is: how will it be made?”

For Östlund, spoilers don’t kill curiosity—they ignite it. He compares modern cinema to YouTube culture, where videos often give away the ending in the title and still rack up millions of views. Audiences, he argues, don’t come for surprises anymore. They come to see execution.

“You go to the theater knowing how Hamlet ends,” he noted. “What makes you curious is how the director and the team approach it.”

In a crowded attention economy, Östlund believes cinema must hook viewers immediately—and sometimes, that means shocking them.

But not for cheap thrills.

“Shocking people just for the sake of it is easy,” he said. “Making them think is the hard part.”

A Flying Pressure Cooker of Human Absurdity

Set largely aboard an airplane hurtling 1,000 kilometers per hour at 10,000 meters above the clouds, The Entertainment System Is Down traps its characters in a confined social experiment—classic Östlund territory.

Inside the cabin, couples unravel, infidelity is exposed, and petty conflicts explode. Outside, the aircraft cruises calmly through the sky.

“That contrast is absurd,” Östlund said. “People are fighting about trivial things while they’re literally flying above the clouds.”

One storyline involves a couple discovering infidelity mid-flight—an emotional disaster with nowhere to hide.

“My biggest nightmare,” Östlund admitted. “And mine too.”

Why He Built an Entire Airplane From Scratch

Rather than relying on traditional sets, Östlund and his team essentially built the airplane themselves—digitally and physically.

Working across cities—Mallorca, Stockholm, Gothenburg—the director, cinematographer Fredrik Wenzel, and the production designer collaborated using VR technology, entering the plane as avatars to block scenes and movement.

Drawing traditional storyboards for airplane scenes, Östlund said, would have been “incredibly boring.” VR allowed them to obsess over perspective, repetition, and spatial tension—key ingredients in his slow-burn discomfort cinema.

Keanu Reeves, the Electrician—and the Corpse Seat

Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising reveal: Keanu Reeves plays an electrician.

Yes, that Keanu Reeves.

While Reeves is beloved for The Matrix, John Wick, and Bill & Ted, Östlund leaned hard into his deadpan comedic energy—and then weaponized the audience’s expectations.

“He’s introduced beautifully,” Östlund said.

One scene sums it up: a man dies of a heart attack mid-flight. There’s nowhere to store the body. Flight attendants ask Reeves’ character to switch seats—with the widow.

“Oh, and you’ll have to sit next to the corpse,” they tell him.

Östlund admits the fun was in playing with the public’s perception of Keanu Reeves—his calm, empathetic persona colliding with an absurd, morbid social obligation.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how audiences react,” he said.

Shame, Herd Mentality, and Laughing at the Pain

Östlund’s films are famous for turning deeply uncomfortable human behavior into dark comedy—and he doesn’t apologize for it.

“It’s absurd to make dramas about human beings,” he said. “We’re quite privileged. And we’re all going to die.”

What fascinates him most isn’t danger—it’s shame.

“Out of all feelings, shame takes over the most brain processes,” Östlund explained. “We almost feel it physically.”

His films rarely involve immediate physical threats. Even in The Entertainment System Is Down, real danger exists—but the characters won’t realize it until the final 15 minutes.

Until then, they’re too busy navigating social hierarchies, embarrassment, and the unbearable pressure of being watched.

Why Cannes Can Wait

Despite massive expectations, Östlund is in no rush to premiere the film.

He insists on extensive test screenings, something many European auteurs resist—but Östlund considers essential.

“It’s not about asking the audience what they like,” he said. “It’s about sitting with them and feeling the energy in the room.”

He credits test screenings for shaping Force Majeure, The Square, and Triangle of Sadness, arguing that European cinema lost its audience connection by obsessing over arthouse purity.

“John Cleese fine-tuned A Fish Called Wanda after 12 screenings,” Östlund pointed out. “It’s ignorant to think you don’t need to consider how audiences react.”

After a painful experience rushing Play without testing, he refuses to repeat the mistake—even if it means delaying Cannes glory.

“I want to maximize my films’ potential,” he said.

And if that means spoiling the ending, casting Keanu Reeves next to a corpse, and making audiences squirm before they laugh?

For Ruben Östlund, that’s not a risk.

That’s the point.