Unlike standard thrillers that build toward a climax, Irréversible deconstructs the climax first. We see the horrific "justice" meted out by Marcus (Vincent Cassel) and Pierre (Albert Dupontel) before we understand the trauma that motivated it.
The film consists of 14 long, seemingly continuous segments. This includes the infamous nine-minute, static-shot assault in the red tunnel. By refusing to cut away, Noé denies the viewer any aesthetic or narrative distance from the trauma.
Even decades after its release, Irréversible is famous for two specific sequences that tested the endurance of audiences at the Cannes Film Festival:
However, some critics argued that the film: