Worth: $15.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman, Jalil Lespert, Amanda Brugel, John Ralston
Intro:
… slow-moving, violent, chockers with stunningly awful people and gleefully disinterested in mainstream tastes or conventional storytelling …
When you think about it, the rich are the perfect subject for socially satirical horror movies. They are a class of people who are perfectly sanguine (often downright delighted) with the fact that in a world of finite and dwindling resources, they possess a disproportionate share. These are citizens who can see a family sleeping rough in an underpass and think, “Yes, my second yacht is more important than their health and welfare.” It’s a mindset that can only be described as deeply disturbing. Writer/director Brandon Cronenberg (spawn of the great David Cronenberg) knows this only too well, and utilises a canny mix of subversive humour and stark body horror in his cross-genre hybrid, Infinity Pool.
Infinity Pool is the story of ineffectual, unsuccessful author James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård), who is on holiday with his wealthy wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) in the fictional country of Li Tolqa, which kind of feels like Eastern Europe as written by Thomas Ligotti. Despite being absurdly good looking and wealthy, James and Em are in a bit of a rut. Their marriage feels stagnant, and they can’t even take much joy in their lush, expensive resort, the poor dears.
This changes when they meet exciting married couple, Gabi (Mia Goth) and Alban Bauer (Jalil Lespert), and go for a jaunt outside the compound-like structure of the resort. A few bottles of plonk and a covert extra-marital wristy later, the foursome drive back to their lush digs, but accidentally kill a local on the way. James becomes intimately acquainted with Li Tolqa’s rather unique judicial response (which involves cloning and state sanctioned murder) and that’s when the wheels really come off…
Infinity Pool does a number of things really well. It has a wonderful sense of place, with Li Tolqa feeling vivid and somehow familiar, like a fictitious town conjured by a fevered brain, complete with bizarre masks and road signs written in an oddly sinister language. It also excels in its casting, with Alexander Skarsgård doing strong work as the rather pathetic James and Mia Goth delivering another jaw-droppingly committed performance, cementing her reputation as a quality actor and arthouse Scream Queen. Cronenberg’s direction is stylish and deft, with moments of shocking violence juxtaposed with scenes of the bland indifference and internalised self-loathing of the obscenely moneyed.
But it certainly won’t be for everyone. Infinity Pool is slow-moving, violent, chockers with stunningly awful people and gleefully disinterested in mainstream tastes or conventional storytelling. On the other hand, it’s well shot, wonderfully acted, deeply disturbing and at times genuinely hilarious in a bleak, satirical way. So, maybe leave your nan at home, but for those interested in the darker side of the street, Li Tolqa is a destination well worth visiting. Just try not to run over any locals. It’s a whole thing.