Certificate: 18 (strong bloody violence, gore, sex, nudity). Running Time: 118 mins. UK Distributor: Universal Pictures
WHO’S IN IT?
Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman, Jalil Lespert, Amanda Brugel, John Ralston, Jeffrey Ricketts, Caroline Boulton, Thomas Kretschmann
WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?
Brandon Cronenberg (director, writer), Andrew Cividino, Rob Cotterill, Jonathan Halperyn, Karen Harnisch, Anita Juka, Daniel Kresmery, Christina Piovesan and Noah Segal (producers), Tim Hecker (composer), Karim Hussain (cinematographer), James Vandewater (editor)
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A holidaying couple (Skarsgård and Coleman) are drawn to a dark and twisted underworld…
WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON INFINITY POOL?
Last year, David Cronenberg – the legendary filmmaker behind such classics as Scanners, Videodrome, Naked Lunch and other strange, out-there movies – released his first film in almost ten years with Crimes of the Future, which received a decent, if not completely rapturous, reception with both critics and audiences. Perhaps his bizarre style was simply no longer as noteworthy as it once had been, or perhaps he is rapidly being overshadowed by his own son, Brandon Cronenberg, whose films Antiviral, Possessor and now Infinity Pool, are arguably more Cronenbergian than the original auteur himself.
Either way, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Brandon is reclaiming his family name with considerable ease, with Infinity Pool being the latest in his attention-grabbing sci-fi horrors that go for broke in their intensity, pitch-black satire, and gloriously nasty taste for violence. Like his previous films, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but it is very much a Cronenberg film in the classical sense, which is exciting for anyone who enjoyed the work of his father.
The film largely takes place at a getaway resort in a remote tropical country, where author James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) and his wealthy wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) are holidaying as he struggles to overcome his writer’s block. They soon run into another couple, Gabi (Mia Goth) and Alban (Jalil Lespert), who admire James’ only previous book and invite them along on a day trip outside the resort perimeter, where guests are not often allowed to go. However, a tragic road accident lands them in the custody of the local authorities, who are so conservative and deeply unforgiving that they immediately sentence James to death – but, because they’re also a scientific community with a tinge of corruption, they offer him the choice to be cloned, for a hefty fee, and have the clone killed in his stead. Becoming morbidly fascinated with this lifestyle that’s free of consequence – so long as you have money to spare – James soon embeds himself in the grotesque and increasingly immoral community of wealthy socialites who are effectively coming to the resort for a series of unhinged, Purge-like activities, where all their troubles can literally be paid off.
Like Possessor before it, Infinity Pool sees Brandon Cronenberg dive deep into a fresh and interesting sci-fi horror concept, while revelling in the nightmarish atmosphere in which it all takes place. Almost right away, Cronenberg and his regular cinematographer Karim Hussain together establish a visual style that leaves an overwhelming sense of discomfort, such as extremely tight close-ups on characters’ mouths, eyes, and even their reproductive organs (at one point early on, Mia Goth’s Gabi suddenly gives Alexander Skarsgård’s James a sudden handjob, and Cronenberg ensures that the viewer sees every up-close flash of his erect penis right up to the point of climax). It’s definitely designed to make the viewer feel uneasy, well before the horrific sci-fi elements are introduced, and when they do finally come into it the viewer is discombobulated with disturbing imagery that, again like Possessor, makes you really want to know more about how these cloning procedures work, what is ultimately lost from it, and the distinct possibility that there may have been a switcheroo between the original and their genetic doppelganger. Cronenberg keeps a tight lid on most of it, but gives enough to keep the viewer highly engaged with this concept, as fascinatingly rotten and unnerving as it can visually become.
It’s also the latest in a long line of recent films that skewer the wealthier elite, and depict them as unsympathetic and deeply out-of-touch snobs who often hide behind their protective veil of privilege – but I’ll be honest, as much as I do find that current trend rather exhausting (not that there’s anything wrong with satirically targeting the wealthy, but more often than not they tend to deliver the same “rich people suck” message without much variety), Infinity Pool is far, far more effective than Triangle of Sadness was at delivering on this specific satire. The film goes well out of its way to show how morally corrupt and psychopathic these people have become, and what James himself is slowly becoming – also partially due to his reclamation of suppressed alpha manhood, having been made to feel like the trophy husband of his wealthier wife for many years of their marriage – because they happen to have the money to buy their way out of facing any real consequences from their actions, which in turn has robbed them of their humanity. As Cronenberg presents them behaving in such an entitled and dangerous manner (most of all Mia Goth’s Gabi, who after her similarly unhinged turn in Pearl gives audiences another compellingly over-the-top performance to be mesmerised by), the negative effects of having such privilege and power are frighteningly displayed, and the dark commentary is thus conveyed in a deeply resonant and even thoughtful manner, proving it to have far more bite when it comes to this subject matter than the Ruben Östlund movie that scored some Oscar nominations (which, sadly, Infinity Pool will never be able to claim, regardless of its quality).
Suitably dark and twisted, with some genuinely unnerving imagery that’s filled with style and nightmarish surrealism – wait until you see the hallucinogenic orgy set-piece that’s slap-bang in the middle of the picture – Infinity Pool is Brandon Cronenberg at his most unhinged, but the interesting kind where you’re endlessly curious about the kind of messed-up stuff that he would had to have gone through in order to bring it to life. Like I said, it’s a film that requires the thickest of skin and the most stable of stomachs to ingest, but if you feel that you have what it takes to make it through without feeling just a little bit queasy, this is a pretty solid pitch-black satire with an admirable style and concept that brings out the worst in humanity. Safe to say, Brandon is the true heir to the Cronenberg legacy.
SO, TO SUM UP…
Infinity Pool is a twisted sci-fi horror from writer-director Brandon Cronenberg that mixes an intriguing concept with a pitch-black satire of affluent privilege, as well as some fascinatingly nasty imagery that may put off those with weaker stomachs, but will morbidly intrigue anyone brave enough to give it a try.
