“Jaaaaaaaaaammmmmeeeessss!”
We’re only about one month into 2023 and there is already a film to come out that has left me completely and utterly stunned. It shocks you; it makes you squirm, and it hypnotizes you with its unnerving atmosphere and startling images. Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool is a wild ride that there is no preparing for.
James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) is a small-time novelist in desperate need of inspiration for his next work. Him and his rich wife, Em (Cleopatra Coleman) take a vacation in Li Tolqa, a beautiful and expensive resort surrounded by beaches and luxury. After meeting the bold and adventurous Gabi (Mia Goth) when she professes her love for Foster’s book, James and his wife make friends with Gabi and her husband Alban (Jalil Lespert), though it may turn out to be a friendship they end up regretting. The next day, James and Em join Gabi and Alban on a little road trip that’s outside of the barbed-wire fencing of the resort (you could say this is a little illegal) to a private little beach where Gabi makes rather bold sexual advances on James. When returning home that night, James drives the rented car and hits a pedestrian in the dark. But instead of calling the police, Gabi aggressively insists that they get back to the resort and leave the body. But the next day, the authorities come knocking at James’s door, explaining that death is the punishment for such a crime. However, there may be an alternative. Afterall, James has money, right?
I will reveal no more information than that, and even so I might have already said too much. By best advice: go in blind and let it surprise you. That is the best way to experience this film. Trust me, that’s what I did.
In such an astonishing fashion, Cronenberg’s commentary on the rich is something I don’t think we’ve ever seen before. Now, of course, I will not generalize to all wealthy people, but the group of characters in this film are those of a different breed. The ones who make sport and entertainment of inhumanities. The ones who are manipulative, selfish, and exploitative. The ones who think they are invincible – somehow immortal, even. And that’s all because they can afford to be. And as James gets dragged into this world of indiscretion and obscenities, he enjoys it. And to an extent, the audience does as well. The drinking, the drugs, the orgies, the late-night escapes beyond the fence, the violence. The film makes you lean more and more forward in your seat as you watch James fall into the trap of Gabi and her rich friends, seeing him continually lose his humanity bit by bit…until he cannot take anymore.
By the end, there is this inescapable loneliness and sheer shock that the audience shares with James. How can these people that James got tangled up with act so normal by the time the vacation is over? Do they not care about all of the brutal and crazy things they just did? It is a lot to process in one sitting. There are images that will sit with you for a long time, if not forever. 
Something that I do not want to overlook is that all of the performances were great. Skarsgård’s perpetual red eyes and panic hold our horrified hand through the film in the best way possible. The supporting cast from Coleman (who plays probably the only sane person in the film) to Lespert to everyone the rich scumbag society group all plays their roles to a tee.
But of course, I am obliged to talk about certified scream queen, Mia Goth. Anyone familiar with Goth’s previous works, especially in the past year starring in the first two installments of Ti West’s “X” trilogy (fingers crossed we get the much-anticipated MaXXXine this year), knows that she’s quickly becoming an iconic staple in the horror genre. And while I’ll stand by her best performance yet is in Pearl, her performance as the manipulative, cunning, and controlling Gabi in his film is a force to be reckoned with. Every time Goth is on screen, she takes control with her demanding stare and forceful presence. And when she’s not doing that, she either scares you or even makes you laugh. She’s absolutely captivating.
Infinity Pool is an extremely proactive film fills your senses with its heavy mood, sensual textures, and terrifying shots. It is a work of art that is not only watched, but felt deep in your core in both the best and worst possible ways. And within all of this, it makes a harsh yet truthful commentary on some of the world’s worst type of people in such an innovative way. If I could give it more than five stars, I would!
It. Is. Amazing.
Infinity Pool is now playing in select theaters.
MPAA Rating: R for graphic violence, disturbing material, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and some language.
Runtime: 117 mins
Director: Brandon Cronenberg
Writer: Brandon Cronenberg
Cast: Alexander Skarsgård; Mia Goth; Cleopatra Coleman
Genre: Crime | Horror
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Theatrical Distributor: Neon
Official Site: https://www.infinitypool.film/
Release Date: January 27, 2023
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: James and Em Foster are enjoying an all-inclusive beach vacation in the fictional island of La Tolqa, when a fatal accident exposes the resort's perverse subculture of hedonistic tourism, reckless violence and surreal horrors.
