Infinity Pool is a 2022 science fiction thriller film written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg, who previously wrote and directed Possessor (2020). The son of famed director David Cronenberg, the man who brought us Scanners (1981), The Fly (1986), A History of Violence (2005), and most recently Crimes of the Future (Andrew’s full review here), Brandon intends to pave his own way in the industry. The film is an international co-production between Canada, Hungary, and France, and had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2023.

While staying at an isolated island resort, James (Alexander Skarsgård) and Em (Cleopatra Coleman) are enjoying a perfect vacation of pristine beaches, exceptional staff, and soaking up the sun. But guided by the seductive and mysterious Gabi (Mia Goth), they venture outside the resort grounds and find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism, and untold horror. A tragic accident leaves them facing a zero-tolerance policy for crime: either you’ll be executed, or, if you’re rich enough to afford it, you can watch yourself die instead.

Infinity Pool made its debut in select theaters on January 27th, courtesy of Neon.

THE GOOD

Alright so when I first heard about Infinity Pool I was first intrigued by the cast because I am a huge fan of Alexander Skarsgård, and Mia Goth has also been a favorite of mine as of late. Add in the fact that Brandon Cronenberg wrote and directed the film, I knew that at the very least it was going to be a crazy experience, for better or for worse. And admittedly the trailer actually increased my excitement level, mainly because I thought the premise had a chance to be very interesting depending on where they decided to go with it. So as soon as Infinity Pool hit theaters near me I made my way right over. So, was it worth my time or too off the reservation to even be enjoyable? Keep reading to find out!

Wow, what an experience. I just loved this movie for so many different reasons which I will touch on in my review, but for starters, Infinity Pool is easily one of the most immersive films in recent memory. I mean my eyes were glued to the screen, and I was feeling what the characters were feeling within the first 20 minutes of the film, which is no easy task. The acting was incredible, the story is just wild and shocking, yet it somehow feels relatable if that makes any sense at all, and the technical elements were top-notch from start to finish. I feel like writer/director Brandon Cronenberg was incredibly intentional with this original story, and the weight of it hit me like a ton of bricks. I don’t know if my background and general interest in psychology played a part or not, but for me, Infinity Pool felt like a hard look at the dark side of humanity, essentially what we are capable of becoming without judgment or fear of consequences. The story itself is fairly straight forward as crazy as it is, but being able to connect with the characters and the emotions they are feeling takes this film to the next level.

The story in Infinity Pool is everything. It is crucial that viewers are able to connect with Alexander Skarsgård’s character James Foster, which should be easy enough as in the beginning he resembles most of us at some point in our lives. James is a failing writer who is struggling to find his place in the world so he takes this trip with his wife in the hope that he can find inspiration. Not only is he in a bad place in his career, but he is losing touch with who he is as a man, and more importantly as a human being. Bottom line, James is having an identity crisis, and just when he feels like he is destined to live the rest of his life as a failure with a glazed-over look on his face he meets Gabi, an energetic and intriguing woman played by Mia Goth. Needless to say, his world is soon turned upside down.

Now I won’t give anything away of course, but the relationship that develops between James and Gabi is the beating heart of the film. The story gets crazier and crazier with each passing minute, and Cronenberg also utilized some very effective psychedelic sequences which seem to help viewers tap into the intense confusion James must be feeling. He loses himself over and over again, and so much of the story grows with the subtle yet extreme fascination James and Gabi feel for each other. Gabi is often seen observing James and relishing in the chaos she is causing. Bottom line, this story is wild right up until the final scene.

The cast was nothing short of amazing, but the standing ovation should be reserved for Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth. I will start with Skarsgård, who has been on an absolute tear since his days on HBO’s True Blood. The 6’4 stud of an actor has been dominating Hollywood along with his brother Bill aka Pennywise, but you have never seen him like this. Infinity Pool feels like an opportunity for Skarsgård to shed his skin a bit and become something entirely different on-screen, and man did he crush it. It feels like it may be a reach saying this is his best performance to date considering his illustrious career, but it is surely one of his best and easily his most unique and captivating.

Alongside Skarsgård is Mia Goth, and all I can hear is Ludacris rapping “move, bitch, get out the way!”. Like seriously, Goth has been in some great films, but she landed on my radar officially with last year’s surprise horror film X (our review here), where she did double duty. She followed that up with an Oscar-worthy performance in the prequel Pearl (our review here) and proved that she is an absolute force. She does seem to really shine when playing absolutely psychotic characters, but hey to each their own, right? She is sooooooo good in Infinity Pool as Gabi, a character that has many, many layers, and seems to be about as crazy as Jeffrey Dahmer after a night at the club, Too much? Perhaps. Her chemistry with Skarsgård jumps off the screen, and even though I thought the entire cast was fantastic, the film does not hit as hard as it does without the performances of these two. Simple as that. Cleopatra Coleman delivered a heck of a performance as well, along with the rest of the supporting cast.

Now to talk about the man behind the camera, Brandon Cronenberg. And boy oh boy, all I can say is like father like son. This dude is super talented and has clearly been paying attention to the storied career his father has put together over the years. From the unique camera work during the opening sequence of the film right up until the end credits, Infinity Pool just feels like a film that mattered to each and every person who worked on it, and I have zero doubt that Cronenberg is beyond pleased with this piece of art he was able to put out into the world. A film like this desperately needs a mesmerizing score and jaw-dropping cinematography, and that is just what we get thanks to Tim Hecker who provided the music for the film, and talented cinematographer Karim Hussain, who also worked with Cronenberg on Possessor. Also a well-deserved shoutout to James Vandewater for his incredible editing.

THE BAD

Infinity Pool is amazing, and you will be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t check it out, at least in my opinion. But, to say it is not for everyone would be an extreme understatement. If you are easily offended by graphic content, you may want to sit this one out. Your willingness to connect fully with and immerse yourself in the film will make all the difference, because if you sit back and just watch it scene by scene checking your phone periodically you will find yourself saying what the fuck, a lot. Brutal violence, check. Lots and lots of blood, check. Sexual depravity and endless orgies, check. Enough emotional and physical abuse to ruin anyone for life, check, check, and check. Similar to the senior Cronenberg, Brandon does not hold back with Infinity Pool. But what makes this film unique in my opinion is that it’s not so much the wild sci-fi element as it usually is with his father’s films, but this experience is much more rooted in reality even if most of us refuse to admit it. It all comes down to a raw and unadulterated look at the human condition, and I hate to be the one to break the bad news, but that is often not as glamorous as we would like it to be. So yeah, consider this our disclaimer for what is a damn good movie.

THE VERDICT

An immersive and harrowing observation of the human condition when cleansed of all inhibitions, Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool is a powerful and complex viewing experience elevated by incredible performances from Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth. I just can’t stop thinking about this movie, and when I try to describe the premise to people they look at me like I have three heads, which is fair of course. It left me with more questions than answers, but that is part of why it is just so damn good. As I said it certainly is not for everyone and is extremely graphic, but if you can appreciate the raw emotion and sheer creativity that goes into making a film like Infinity Pool, it is well worth your time and then some. I’m looking forward to seeing it again.