Infinity Pool (2023)

At the start of Brandon Cronenberg's "Infinity Pool," the audience is greeted with a blank screen and a woman's whispered question. This woman is Em Foster, and her husband James has been talking in his sleep. Two phrases that are heard are "brain death," setting the tone for the film's ominous journey.

James and Em, a wealthy but unhappy couple, have traveled to an upscale resort on a remote island. The couple's relationship is strained, with James struggling to follow up on a poorly-reviewed novel he wrote years earlier. Boredom turns to excitement when they are invited by two European guests, Gabi and Alban, on a forbidden excursion outside the resort's secured compound. The audience is left wondering what is being kept out by the barbed wire and guards.

When a car accident leaves an islander dead and James in police custody, he is faced with a disturbing decision – accept execution or pay for someone to take his place. James must watch the killing and it only marks the start of a movie that some might find depraved. With its explicit imagery and atmosphere of unrelenting dread, "Infinity Pool" captivates with its use of canted camera angles and a drumbeat-heavy score.

As James joins a group of wealthy revelers participating in the island's get-out-of-jail-for-a-price program, his self-loathing grows along with the group's increasing brutality. Alexander Skarsgard delivers a powerful performance, portraying James's character as a man struggling with his own morality. Mia Goth, who played a lead role in last year's "Pearl," adds to the film's surreal and sophisticated nature.

"Infinity Pool" delves into the psychological effects of violence on the perpetrator, exploring the theme with sophistication and sometimes nauseating detail. While Brandon's father, David Cronenberg, was fixated on the destruction of the body in films such as "Crash," "Infinity Pool" suggests that Brandon is more concerned with the destruction of the soul. The film's disturbing and thought-provoking nature leaves the audience with the question, "Do you worry that they killed the wrong man?"

About Brandon Cronenberg

Brandon Cronenberg first made an impact with his haunting debut film, "Antiviral." As the son of the legendary filmmaker David Cronenberg, known for body horror masterpieces such as "The Fly," "Dead Ringers," and "Scanners," there were high expectations for Brandon. However, even from the start, it was clear that he was bringing a unique perspective to the table with his 10-minute short film "Please Speak Continuously And Describe Your Experiences As They Come To You."

Despite sharing his father's fascination with sterile corporate spaces, the connection between sexuality and liberation, and the gruesome consequences of a failing human body, critics who claim Brandon is simply riding on his father's legacy are mistaken. He is a highly talented and original filmmaker, and "Antiviral" was a stunning debut that eerily predicted the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

His follow-up film "Possessor" further solidified his place in the industry as a filmmaker to watch, displaying an unapologetic interest in the convergence of old and new flesh. With only three films under his belt, Brandon has already established himself as a standout stylist in the genre film world. The question remains, however, whether or not he is interested in carrying on his father's legacy.

With "Infinity Pool," Brandon takes on his largest project yet, featuring standout performances from Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth. The film is a dark, transgressive exploration of crossing the line that separates the depraved from the rest of society, and it is a thrilling testament to Brandon's filmmaking energy.

In this movie, Skarsgård plays James Foster, a struggling novelist who married into wealth, and is on vacation with his wife Em (played by Cleopatra Coleman) on the remote island of Li Tolqa. The luxurious surroundings have a sinister undercurrent, and as the story progresses, the viewer is taken on a journey into the disquieting autonomy of crossing the line into depravity.

In comparison to his father's more contemplative and cerebral work, Brandon's films are aggressively immersive and tactile. "Infinity Pool" is a bracing examination of perversion that feels both like a natural fit for the Cronenberg family and something that David could never have made on his own.