Infinity Pool is the latest film from Brandon Cronenberg, and his parental influence is undeniable. Like father, like son; where Brandon's new film is another hallucinatory descent into dystopian hell. The script from Cronenberg is often humerous; an element he most certainly learned from his father. No matter how disturbing the images on screen are, he implements humour for the audience to laugh along with. Infinity Pool plays out similarly to The White Lotus — as if it was written by Franz Kafka after a bad batch of LSD.
After the one-two punch of last year's X and Pearl, Mia Goth might even top her previous genre fare with her turn here. Utilising the novelty of her native posh British accent, you get some memorable line readings in an almost babyish howl throughout the film. No actress can touch her in genre films at the moment. With the third entry in her trilogy with Ti West (MaXXXine) currently in production — Goth doesn't seem to want to leave the genre world for more “worthy” films anytime soon. On the other spectrum, Skarsgård can switch from alpha to beta male within the same scene, giving viewers a stunning performance that continues his hot streak of interesting work. For those faint of heart or of prudish nature, my advice is that you should probably stay away from Infinity Pool. Karim Hussain's cinematography heightens the uneasiness from the moment the film begins. He's participated in every single one of Cronenberg's films to date, and the visual palette is even more extreme than his work on Possessor.
The satirical social commentary on the rich is nastier than anything featured in The Menu or Triangle of Sadness. It understands how the super-wealthy can buy themselves out of any circumstance — but money can't buy you out of its soul-shattering consequences. It probably helps that Papa Cronenberg has always had an understanding of power dynamics; influencing Brandon's work in the process. The father and son directorial duo certainly have similarities in their themes and stories, but there is some notable difference in their approaches. The performances are far more exaggerated than the deliberated & stilted monotone characterisations of David's films. Infinity Pool and Possessor, are more visually colourful and expressive than David Cronenberg's often clinical environments. It will be interesting to see how Brandon approaches his next project; a TV adaptation of J.G. Ballard's Super-Cannes.
Infinity Pool is the first great film of 2023, and will undoubtably end up being one of the best films of the year. If you are willing to buy a ticket, take the ride — you won't be disappointed. There has been a lot of discussion about “Nepo-Babies” in press discussions as of late, but Brandon & Skarsgård seem to be one of the few good ones presently working.
