Club Zero

That the ultimate high for young people with eating disorders would be to not eat all would seem to be the main message contained within Austrian Jessica Hausner’s brittle satire on consumerism, saving the planet and conspicuous consumption.

Set within the confines of a British boarding school (although it could be anywhere) and the modernistic homes of the parents and pupils, Hausner weaves an unsettling tale of youngsters coming under the influence of a Jean Brodie-ish teacher, Ms Novak (Mia Wasikowska), who has been hired as a nutritional expert.

She taps into the insecurities and obsessions of her charges. At the outstep there is a group session in which some of the pupils outline their reasons for agreeing to sign up to her cult: they want to lose weight, get rid of body fat, jettison junk food and help to save the planet.

Her plan is to initiate them into her method of 'conscious eating' as opposed to wolfing down whatever is on offer. Conscious eating requires discipline, unwavering commitment, and a strong will.

The pupils basically are being inculcated into being anorexic for the greater good. The message is propounded with a religious-like zeal - Ms Novak is a mistress of manipulation.

The seven students in the group include Ragna (Florence Baker), a trampoline gymnast; Fred (Luke Barker), a non-binary ballet dancer who is also diabetic; and Ben (Samuel D Anderson) whose English single mother simply loves cooking for him.

The Club Zero whose disciples they are working towards becoming only accepts those who have learned that ultimately you do not need to eat at all.

The school’s headmistress (Sidse Babett Knudsen from Borgen) suddenly realises that her new recruit may not be quite the asset she had imagined while the parents’ school board realises it’s time to take action.

The narrative proceeds at a controlled pace set to a jangling score of percussion and chants, which is enough to set viewers on edge without the disturbing scenes of food being tentatively eaten and then disgorged.

The film is restrained but does manage to explore parental anxieties and obsessive disorders with a forensic demeanour which will leave more than just a nasty taste in the mouth and plenty of food for thought.