Atomised (film)

Atomised is a 2006 German drama film directed by Oskar Roehler, based on the 1998 novel Les Particules élémentaires by Michel Houellebecq. The film explores themes of existential despair, sexual frustration, and the search for meaning in modern society.

The narrative follows the lives of two half-brothers, Michel and Bruno, who experience contrasting yet equally bleak existences. Michel is a cold and detached molecular biologist focused on scientific pursuits, while Bruno is a sexually frustrated and emotionally unstable literature teacher. Their lives are portrayed as isolated and marked by a profound sense of alienation.

The film retains the controversial and pessimistic tone of the original novel, depicting graphic sexual content and exploring themes of nihilism and societal decay. It received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its faithfulness to the source material and others criticizing its bleakness and explicit content.