Infinity Pool ★★★★★

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman

Released: March 24^th 2023 (UK)

Few trailers will have grabbed your attention more than Infinity Pool in the latter half of 2022. Brandon Cronenberg’s third feature film seems to have taken a sharp turn to a deeper extreme than his previous works. Antiviral and Possessor showcase the sheer talent of Cronenberg’s work, pays homage to his father, and establishes him as one of the stand-out horror directors working today.

His latest film, Infinity Pool, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2023 with high expectations. Starring the actor of the moment Mia Goth and a man who is never afraid to embrace the darker side of cinema Alexander Skarsgård. The film follows James (Skarsgård) and Em (Coleman) are enjoying a perfect vacation of pristine beaches, exceptional staff, and soaking up the sun. But guided by the seductive and mysterious Gabi (Goth), they venture outside the resort grounds and find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism, and untold horror.

Infinity Pool is an unhinged cesspool of wonder. Brandon Cronenberg takes his craft to another level with this visually beguiling tale. As you venture through this entangled odyssey of lustful temptations, you gaze into the screen in awe. Some moments leave you in shock as Cronenberg tightens the vice on the audience. While he maintains his oeuvre, there is a high sense of Jodorowsky and von Trier within this tale. Metaphorically and symbolically, there is a lot to ingest, but Cronenberg never gives you the time to process. One of his prime strengths is to immerse his audience and not allow the sadistic astonishment of his art to lose momentum.

We have seen a recent resurgence in observing the world’s elites being sucked into deeply concerning situations with the likes of Triangle of Sadness and The White Lotus. They all have their unique stamps, but Cronenberg’s exploration of sodom within the wealthy of the world has a different je ne sais quoi to it. Wealth can bring the worse out of people, and the sense of money solves everything courses through the narrative. Being allowed to do whatever you want as long as your bank balance is big enough is something we’ve seen before, but you see, Cronenberg thinking outside the box as he takes you through this chaotic journey.

As we meet our protagonists, you can sense what defines them instantly Skarsgård’s James is the prime example. He delves deeper into this world, and his inhibitions descend deeper into darkness. His writer’s block and crime are the perfect components for him to delve deeper into this world. His performance is utterly astonishing, and his artistic choices lately are a testament to his acting style. James is our vessel into this world, but Mia Goth’s Gabi is our eyes to this unhinged experience. She is taking massive strides in her career in 2022 with X and Pearl, but her performance is another level of chaos energy in Infinity Pool. She immerses herself into Gabi and allows her to take over. The combination of Goth and Skarsgård is a stroke of genius, and Cronenberg gets the best out of them.

Visually Infinity Pool is of the highest fever-dream calibre. The bold colouring and brash editing establish the world; you can sense you are in an alternate timeline because of it. When a specific orgy scene shows up, this is where Karim Hussain’s cinematography hits hard. It is a haze of cinematic genius on the level of Gaspar Noé’s work. It will be one of many scenes in the film that people will talk about for a while. Audiences will be divided with Infinity Pool, but Brandon Cronenberg and his team have gone to the next level. Easily one of the best films of the decade so far.