With just three films under his belt, filmmaker Brandon Cronenberg has already made quite a name for himself in the horror genre. Like his father, David Cronenberg (The Fly, Videodrome), he has a keen focus on the body horror sub-genre, while delivering harsh messages surrounding social issues in the world.
Cronenberg’s first film, Antiviral, released and 2012, and not-so-subtly discussed the dangers of celebrity obsession. His 2020 film Possessor was more of an espionage sci-fi film that focused on the future of technology and mind control. Cronenberg’s newest film, Infinity Pool, is a dark view into the spoils of the rich, and the authoritative corruption that favors them.
The film is written and directed by Cronenberg, and stars Alexander Skarsgård (Trublood, The Northman), Mia Goth (Pearl, Suspiria), Cleopatra Coleman (Dopesick), Thomas Kretschmann, Amanda Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale), Jeff Ricketts, and John Ralston (Ready or Not).
Infinity Pool follows the story of James Foster (Skarsgård), a writer’s block-plagued novelist who is visiting the fictional country of Li Tolqa with his wife, in hopes of sparking some inspiration. When the two meet Gabi Bauer (Goth) and her husband, they join the couple for a picnic lunch off-resort; something that isn’t allowed in such a dangerous country.
After a day of drinking, the four drive back to the resort and run over a pedestrian, with James at the wheel. The four flee the scene, and when morning comes, James is arrested by the local police. Upon his arrest, James is told that the punishment for his crime will be death by the victim’s first-born son, but he can dodge the punishment by paying a hefty sum for the government to create a body double that holds all his thoughts, feelings, and memories. The only stipulation is that he has to watch the killing of his double. After agreeing to the procedure, James returns to the resort and meets a group of other rich guests that take consistently advantage of the law, and pay to watch their doubles murdered in front of them.
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While the story for Infinity Pool is heavy and direct, it feels much more surface level than his other films. Personally, I think this is a good thing in getting a wider audience to appreciate and understand his messages. There’s a deeper level of anger in this movie; it’s much less subtle than his typical work. Almost every character is detestable from the start, and they continue down a path that makes the viewer hate them more with every scene.
The message in this one is quick and to the point: Rich people can break the law and even kill innocent bystanders, and buy their way out of it. Even worse, the government is specifically designed for it, and a horrific, corrupt, cyclical system is in place to benefit those that can pay for it. Not only are the super-rich given the green light to end the lives of normal everyday people, but when they pay for their doubles, they aren’t just ok with the doubles being killed; they celebrate the gruesome deaths.
By the end of the film, there is no connection from the audience to these people… lending credence to a point that the super-rich aren’t regular people, and certainly can’t relate to them. In this movie, they are all psychopaths. As a viewer, it can be tough to find any kind of emotional investment in characters you hate.
The acting in Infinity Pool is excellent. Alexander Skarsgård has really gotten to shine over the past few years. Traditionally, he played more reserved, calm and collected characters, but his work in Big Little Lies and most recently The Northman have shown a feral side to the actor. Both sides are on full display in this movie, and he compliments Mia Goth perfectly.
Related: ‘Pearl’ Review: A Perfect Complementary Prequel in Both Style and Tone
Speaking of Mia Goth, the English actress has blown up in the horror genre over the past year. She was not only fantastic in Ti West’s X, but easily gave the best horror performance of 2022 in Pearl. Her role as Gabi in this film is flat-out unhinged, unpredictable, and downright scary. Her ability to take control of and manipulate situations is troubling, and her ability to turn those psychopathic tendencies off from scene to scene is even more bothersome. Goth’s incredible performance is by far the most memorable thing about Infinity Pool.
Like all Brandon Cronenberg’s films (and just the Cronenberg name in general), there is some weird stuff in this movie. It’s not for everyone. It’s not even for all horror fans. The film is peppered with psychedelic-style, anxiety-fueled freakouts and drug/alcohol-induced sex scenes.
There are torture scenes, grotesque effects, and per usual, he goes heavy on the gore. A hardcore sci-fi and horror fan will most likely love these aspects, but casual filmgoers probably won’t be as impressed by these goodies.
Stylistically, Cronenberg has hit home runs since his first film, but Infinity Pool has allowed him to get away from the closed-in, technological feel of his past two movies. The beautiful Croatian environment and cinematographer Karim Hussain (Possessor, Orphan: First Kill), are a match made in heaven. The sinister atmosphere is even more amplified by a haunted score by Canadian composter Tim Hecker (Luzifer, The North Water).
I think Infinity Pool is a very good film, and while I personally liked Possessor more, this is probably Brandon Cronenberg’s best overall movie. It definitely grows on you, though, as I left the theater with very much the same reaction that I had to Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse. I knew it was a good film, but I questioned how much I actually liked it, and how much it resonated with me. After some time, it turns out, I liked it quite a bit. Check this one out, but be ready for a wild ride.
