There's every reason to expect a darkly satirical horror/sci-fi movie starring Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth to be intense, but "intense" might just be the mildest word you could choose to describe INFINITY POOL. The movie comes from Brandon Cronenberg, whose last movie, POSSESSOR, was fantastic in a squirm-inducing way.
INFINITY POOL, which follows the strange and probably horrific fate of a vacationing writer who befriends the wrong people, won't merely be the first strange movie of 2023; it could end up being the strangest of the year, period.
The full scope of this movie's odd sights is difficult to describe. Maybe it’s better to check out the INFINITY POOL trailer to get an idea of what’s going on, and then we'll try to fill in the blanks.
Watch the Infinity Pool Trailer
We can all agree that trailer is strange and unsettling. At this point, after watching the INFINITY POOL trailer, you're probably ready to dive right in — or you know this movie is not for you at all.
So, the plot summary: While vacationing at an elite resort, James and Em are enticed to join a wealthy couple for a picnic. But that leads to James seemingly killing a pedestrian by accident — and that in turn leads James to discover the island's harsh and unusual criminal justice system. Things only get weirder from there, and James is quickly lured into a freakishly violent world.
How Intense Is Infinity Pool?
Well, we haven't seen the movie yet, but we do know that when originally submitted to the MPAA, INFINITY POOL earned an NC-17. The movie was cut slightly to achieve an R rating. Given that NEON previously released both R-Rated and Uncut versions of Brandon Cronenberg's movie POSSESSOR, we wouldn't be surprised to see an uncut version of INFINITY POOL in the not-too-distant future.
Mia Goth, Scream Queen
Over the last couple of years, Mia Goth has become a phenomenal force in genre movies. That, of course, is due in large part to performances in the movies X and PEARL, with a third movie in that series, MAXXXINE, on the way later this year. Alexander Skarsgård, too, has been taking risks in daring and unusual movies. Their pairing alone makes INFINITY POOL a tantalizing enterprise.
The trailer suggests that Mia Goth becomes absolutely feral in this movie, and Alexander Skarsgård appears to be put through his paces — in a different way than we saw in a movie like THE NORTHMAN.
Alongside the two of them, there’s a host of costars, including Cleopatra Coleman as Em Foster, and Jalil Lespert, Thomas Kretschmann, Amanda Brugel, Caroline Boulton, John Ralston, and Jeff Ricketts.
Brandon Cronenberg Ascends
Want to see something really weird? The Cronenberg family is here to deliver. INFINITY POOL is the third feature film from filmmaker Brandon Cronenberg. He’s the son of veteran genre mastermind David Cronenberg, who returned with his own movie, CRIMES OF THE FUTURE, in 2022.
As filmmakers, the two are very different, but they are bonded by unique and startling viewpoints. Their movies show us familiar ideas and experiences in ways that are far outside perspectives most of us have on life — and that makes their work wonderful. Each of Brandon Cronenberg's movies has reflected great leaps forward in filmmaking ability, and we expect that INFINITY POOL will continue his development as an idiosyncratic and powerful storyteller.
INFINITY POOL opens on January 27.
All images courtesy of NEON.