With 2020’s “Possessor,” Brandon Cronenberg made a film to make his father, the body-horror master David Cronenberg, proud. The film quickly won over critics at the Sundance Film Festival for its trippy, grotesque take on sci-fi horror, with winning performances from Christopher Abbot and Andrea Riseborough. Now, Brandon returns with his latest effort, “Infinity Pool,” which may not just make his Dad proud but cement the up-and-coming filmmaker as a master in his own right.
“Infinity Pool” stars Alexander Skarsgård and Cleopatra Coleman as a couple on vacation on the resort island of La Tolqa who, thanks to Mia Goth, discover a seductive and violent subculture beyond the resort’s walls.
Here’s the film’s official synopsis, courtesy of NEON:
While staying at an isolated island resort James and Em are enjoying a perfect vacation of pristine beaches, exceptional staff, and soaking up the sun. But guided by the seductive and mysterious Gabi, they venture outside the resort grounds and find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism, and untold horror. A tragic accident leaves them facing a zero tolerance policy for cimre: either you’ll be executed, or, if you’re rich enough to afford it, you can watch yourself die instead.
“Infinity Pool” also stars Jalil Lespert, Thomas Kretschmann, Amanda Brugel, Caroline Boulton, and John Ralston. Cronenberg also pens the film’s script. Karim Hussain, who shot “Possessor” for Cronenberg, returns as the film’s cinematographer.
The MPA gave an early cut of “Infinity Pool” an NC-17 rating earlier this year, with the film eventually being re-edited for an R-rating. But even then, expect Brandon Cronenberg’s latest to be as visceral and explicit as his father’s most disturbing work. The film hits theaters on January 27 after its Sundance 2023 premiere. Watch a trailer for “Infinity Pool” below.