INFINITY POOL **** Canada / Croatia / Hungary 2023 Dir: Brandon Cronenberg. 117 mins
A film that evidences Brandon Cronenberg’s excellent filmmaking skills. Brandon, like his father, manages to create a sense of dread so severe that the film isn’t an easy watch. It appears that Brandon has a moral ability to imagine some extreme shocks, to the point I found this more extreme and enjoyable than Crimes Of The Future (2022). I know Brandon probably dislikes the constant comparison to his father but it is hard not to compare two of the best sci-fi horror creators around.
Infinity Pool initially follows a similar plot to The Forgiven (2021), with James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) accidentally killing a local out on the road. This leads James and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) to discover a subculture of violence and madness.
Skarsgård gives a superb performance that is entirely unhinged as he emerges through a surreal experience. He is a brilliant match with Mia Goth who portrays Gabi, an inspired actress with a supposed admiration for James’ writing. Both are not new to portraying insanity whilst being entirely mesmerising.
The film is absurd, bonkers and, at times, trippy whilst the audience are drawn into the lifestyle of the absurdly rich tourists on the fictional island of La Tolqa.
Whilst some may hate the deranged nightmare that grows increasingly absurd, admirers of the Cronenbergs won’t be too shocked by this.
This isn’t for the faint of heart but is worth every moment.
Review by Poppy Blundell
INFINITY POOL is out now on Amazon Prime Video to rent or buy in the USA
A Blu-ray + DVD is scheduled to be released in the UK on 26th June 2023 and is available to pre-order now here:
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