SYNOPSIS: James and Em are soaking up the sun, having a perfect vacation at an isolated island resort of pristine beaches and exceptional staff. When they encounter the seductive and mysterious Gabi and her husband they venture outside the fenced in resort grounds and into the local culture filled with violence, hedonism, and untold horror. On the ride back to the resort 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. James’ decision opens up a Pandora's box of nightmares and horrors that will fracture his reality.
REVIEW: Brandon Cronenberg’s screenplay for INFINITY POOL has a literary intensity reminiscent of the works of Oscar Wilde, Joseph Conrad, and William Golding. His commanding, mind-blowing visual style demonstrates the influences of, of course, his dad (David Cronenberg), Ken Russell and Nicolas Roeg. This is a ride not taken in ages and reminds one what an adult cinematic experience can be.
I’ve already dropped some literary references in regards to the screenplay. I’ve mentioned many times in the past that a good film based on a published work should leave you with a desire to read that work. This is the first film I’ve seen that left me with a desire to read the screenplay. This is a masterclass in storytelling. He seductively weaves a tale of a character’s epic journey into the dark night of the soul. You can almost hear the creatures of H. G. Wells’ 1896 science fiction novel “The Island of Doctor Moreau” cries echoing across the decades transformed into Cronenberg’s contemporary characters grappling with the terrors of the human condition. Cronenberg brings horror back to its roots as he lays bear darkness of the human condition, a quest for the nature of the soul, in a darker, graphic, contemporary tale that is a cinematic reimagining, after a fashion, of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” My only wish is that Cronenberg would have offered a more ambiguous ending.
This is an amazing ensemble cast. There is a brilliant depth to these performances that can only be achieved through a unique amount of trust between the director and his cast. These performances breath, expand and contract, impacting on the viewer’s psyche. It is so real, so intense that it stirs emotions like live theater. I must add, there was something about Alexander Skarsgård's performance at the beginning of the film where if you closed your eyes he sounded just like his dad, Stellan. It was creepy.
Cronenberg’s film work is profound. He transcends homage, weaving visual keynotes together into a cinematic symphony that ignites the viewer’s emotions. There are classic visual effects beautifully reimagined with the aid of contemporary technology. He makes the ugly, the horrific beautiful. There is choreography to his framing and editing, enhanced by the cinematography palette. The resort and the police precinct are excellent locations that he manipulates and exploits to the story’s advantage. I loved the way the film’s opening twits images of the resort to clearly set in the viewer’s mind that there is something not right here. He builds with the tools at his disposal what many filmmakers aspire to and what few writers achieve on the page.
INFINITY POOL is a bold, unflinching, stylized and mind-blowing assault on the imagination that is a contemporary masterpiece on the odyssey into the darkness of the human condition. From the page to the screen, it embraces many traditions but undoubtedly sets Brandon Cronenberg's position firmly as a maestro of the cinema, not to forget these arresting performances.. Nothing can prepare you for this cinematic experience that will leave an indelible mark on your psyche.
CAST: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman, Jalil Lespert, Amanda Brugel, John Ralston, Jeffrey Ricketts, Caroline Boulton, and Thomas Kretschmann.
CREW: Director/Screenplay - Brandon Cronenberg; Producers - Karen Harnisch, Andrew Cividino, Christina Piovesan, Noah Segal, Rob Cotterill, Anita Juka, Daniel Kresmery, and Jonathan Halperyn; Cinematographer - Karim Hussain; Score - Tim Hecker; Editor - James Vandewater; Production Designer - Zosia Mackenzie; Costume Designer - Mária Popovits-Fatér; Special Makeup & Figurative Effects - Dan Martin; Special Effects Supervisor - Paul Stephenson; Visual Effects - Andy Robinson.
OFFICIAL: www.infinitypool.film
FACEBOOK: N.A.
TWITTER: twitter.com/neonrated
TRAILER: https://youtu.be/OzhKA8hBFu8
RELEASE DATE: In theaters January 27th, 2023
**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)
