Infinity Pool (2023) Movie Review
- bobbyjeffry
- Jan 25, 2023
- 2 min read
Infinity Pool is the latest film from writer-director Brandon Cronenberg, son of the renowned filmmaker David Cronenberg.
The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival and is set to release in theaters on January 27, 2023. The horror movie is a surreal, grotesque sci-fi horror that pushes the boundaries of its R-rating.
The film follows James Foster, played by Alexander Skarsgård, and his wife Em, played by Cleopatra Coleman, as they travel to an all-inclusive resort in Li Tolqa in hopes of finding inspiration for James' second novel.
However, instead of jump-starting his writer's block, they find themselves lounging around the pool and enjoying the comforts of the resort, located in a country dangerous for tourists. That is until James meets Gabi, played by Mia Goth, a massive fan of James' sole novel.
Gabi and her husband Alban, played by Jalil Lespert, entice James and Em on a day trip beyond the barbed wire fences of the compound, resulting in a tragic accident that leaves James at the mercy of the authorities. Punishment is swift and severe, but the loophole that allows James' freedom begins a cycle of violence and debauchery.
From the beginning, Brandon Cronenberg instills an off-kilter, satirical vibe with his fictional setting. The hosts of the resort regale guests with local customs while donning masks of twisted, deformed flesh, and Gabi, the enigmatic seductress, knows just the right things to say to appeal to James' vanity and ego.
The tension builds as the story progresses, and Cronenberg merges body horror and sexuality in increasingly bizarre, hallucinatory ways that push the boundaries of the film's R-rating.
The performances by Skarsgård and Goth are outstanding and committed. The characters of James and Gabi have complex layers that reveal there's far more to Infinity Pool than simply the rich eating the rich.
Skarsgård toggles between extreme vulnerability and primal rage, while Goth's character's devious machinations are portrayed with a scene-stealing level of unhinged glee.
Infinity Pool is a polarizing film, but Cronenberg's sense of style, paired with an unrelenting sense of dread and tension, and two utterly captivating, depraved leads ensure that these provocative waters are well worth wading into.
The film is sure to be a hit with fans of Cronenberg's previous work and those who enjoy pushing the boundaries of horror and suspense.
Find out more about Infinity Pool (2023) here.
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