Movie Review: ‘Infinity Pool’

06/28/2023 by gfunk101

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman, Jalil Lespert, Amanda Brugel, John Ralston, Thomas Kretschmann

Plot: James, a novelist, is vacationing with his wife Em at a beach resort. When they get involved in an accident alongside another couple they discover a legal loophole open to the wealthy. This loophole opens up the opportunity for wealthy visitors to indulge in despicable behaviour.

Review: Well…we weren’t expecting that.

Although Infinity Pool sets you up for a surreal, disconnected experience with its unorthodox framing and camera movements, this film goes in some real unexpected directions. Alexander Skarsgård plays James, a novelist who has only had on novel published – by his father-in-law – and has not produced anything else up to publishing standard since. From the outset it’s clear that this has left James with a bruised ego and put a strain on his relationship with Em (Coleman). This mental state leads James to be easily swayed by the attentions of resort guest Gabi (Goth), who praises his writing and openly flirts with him.

Gabi, along with her husband Alban (Lespert), persuade James and Em to join them in an outing outside of the resort grounds. This is already discouraged for guests for their safety, but the two couples spent the day drinking on the beach before James drives them back in the dark. On the way, James accidentally runs down a local man and kills him. Arrested the next day, James learns that under this countries law he is to be executed by the hand of the victim’s oldest son. The loophole is that anyone who can afford can instead have themselves cloned with their new double taking their place on the gallows. Using his wife’s resources, James takes this opportunity and finds himself oddly intrigued by the sight of his own death.

Whilst Em is keen to get packed and leave following his ordeal, James claims that he has lost his passport and extends their booking at the resort. Gabi introduces him to a group calling themselves ‘zombies’, wealthy tourists who visit the resort annually to indulge in violent rampages while their privileged status allows them to clear their name using more clones. This extreme level of entitlement quickly sees James spiral into heinous and depraved behaviour at the encouragement of the Zombies. They attack people who they perceive as to have wronged them, torment and murder local residents, make use of stolen sacred hallucinogens to fuel orgies and other shenanigans.

This movie first goes into very dark territory before going head-first into the outright bizarre. The crimes of James and the Zombies feel very similar to the violent actions of the Droogs in A Clockwork Orange, with a similarly cold-hearted feel to it. The subsequent execution of their clones, met with cheers and whoops, only add to the feeling of disconnect between these highly protected rich people and society as a whole. Cronenberg leans very heavily into disturbing imagery during their group sex scenes with things that…don’t make biological sense and carry a very visceral horror. There’s no aspect of this experience that isn’t distressingly disturbing.

The themes of privilege that comes with wealth are very clearly spelt out for the audience, but themes of ego and dangers therein play more heavily into the character of James. His lack of success in a creative field and reliance on his wife’s money and connections has led to him feeling depressed and sensitive to criticism. When Gabi sings his praises and shows a genuine love of his work he becomes highly pliable to her suggestions. Later we learn that this was part of a larger manipulation to bring James into their fold, and Gabi begins using his his insecurities to destroy his sense of self.

With two powerful performers in the lead roles, the destructive dynamic between James and Gabi is fascinating to watch play out. Mia Goth is especially powerful playing an unhinged psychopath who gleefully and effortlessly twists James to her whims, gleefully cackling as she torments him physically and mentally. This is a brilliant concept, but it winds up taking a back seat the complete destruction of James’ psyche in the second half of the movie. It becomes and endurance trail, having to stomach twisted scenes of sexuality and brutal abuse. It doesn’t stick the landing, largely dumping James at the side of the road and unable to reenter society as a normal person.