Title – Infinity Pool (2023) 

Director – Brandon Cronenberg (Possessor) 

Cast – Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman, Thomas Kretschmann, Jalil Lespert

Plot – On the remote and violence clad island of La Tolqa, aimless writer James Foster (Skarsgård) and his distant wife Em (Coleman) meet Gabi (Goth) and Alban Bauer (Lespert) which leads them down a path of uncovering the true nature of the island their on and the horrors that lay waiting for them. 

“You’re so frozen these days I can’t even tell if you’re sleeping or awake”

Review by Eddie on 26/05/2023

Three feature films into his directional career, following on from Antiviral and the more prominent 2020 release Possessor, with Infinity Pool filmmaker/screenwriter Brandon Cronenberg has proved with much finality that the apple fell very close to the tree when one compares the still budding talent with his father David. 

Not afraid to get seriously weird, dark, horrific and against the odds humorous, Cronenberg enlists the help of his most well-known cast yet thanks to lead turns from the always game Alexander Skarsgård and newly minted horror pin-up girl Mia Goth to bring his unnerving vision of the fictional island of La Tolqa to life as he explores struggling couple James and Em Fosters trip to the location that takes a seriously unexpected turn after they befriend fellow tourists, Goth’s Gabi and Jalil Lespert’s Alban Bauer. 

Originally handed a dreaded NC-17 rating before it’s planned American release, Infinity Pool was eventually edited down to an R rating in the territory but that should be enough to warn viewers that Croenberg is holding nothing back here as he explores an increasingly intense journey down a rabbit hole that Skarsgård’s weak and vulnerable James goes down, a rabbit hole that involves previously unthought of technology, some of the worlds most unsettling masks, blood curdling violence and an unnerving score by composer Tim Hecker. 

The less known about Infinity Pool’s plot details the better but there is likely to be enough varied material here that is sure to offend and deter so anyone not willing to stomach a very strange and unapologetic adult focused offering should give this film a wide berth but despite the fact not everything works in a narrative scope here, the film working much better in the early stages where not everything is laid out before us and Cronenberg’s writing still needs a fine tune, there’s enough still on show here to suggest a classic future product is certainly within reach of Croenberg’s grasp. 

Featuring an array of memorable imagery, fantastic ideas and concepts and two very dedicated performances from Skarsgård and Goth, Infinity Pool has some startlingly unique components and the way in which Cronenberg brings some of these situations to life is done in a way that can only come from someone in charge of their artform and with Infinity Pool leaving us excited for where he goes too next even if the landing here doesn’t quite stick.

Final say – 

A horror film that is sure to shock, surprise and potentially cause some scathing dislike, Infinity Pool is not a feature for mass consumption but it showcases more signs that Brandon Croenberg is on the right track to deliver something special in the not too distant future. 

3 lost passports out of 5