Infinity Pool Reviews

Brandon Cronenberg (Possessor) has found his niche in genre-bending horror and mystery with science fiction. He does it again, albeit with a little more red dye #5, in his film Infinity Pool. The movie stars Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman), Mia Goth (Pearl), Cleopatra Coleman (The Last Man on Earth), Jalil Lespert (Yves Saint Laurent), and Thomas Kretschmann (Greyhound).In Infinity Pool, Author James Foster (Skarsgård) and his wealthy wife Em (Coleman) have whisked themselves away to a fictious island called La Tolqa. There, James tries to find inspiration for his second book, while Em is merely trying to have a good time with her husband. When they meet Gabi (Goth) and Alban (Lespert), their vacation takes a left turn. A tragic and fatal accident throws them into the decadent and corrupt subculture for the wealthy on the island.The first few images scream arthouse film: giant letters fill the screen ("Infinity Pool"), a seizure warning, and a black screen, that goes on a little too long, while faceless voices talk about their day. Meanwhile, the next couple scenes do a great job of making the audience uncomfortable while still displaying the beauty of the resort. What could go wrong? So much could go wrong, dear moviegoer. So much.The film dives into the deep end of the allegorical pool as it showcases the hedonism that can come with wealth and absolute power. What would people do if they knew they could get away with it? It also explores the idea of excess in a number of different ways. How much is too much? What is James's tipping point, if he even has one? Can Em do anything to pull James back or has he gone too far, too fast?Both Skarsgård and Goth do an excellent job portraying James and Gabi. Skarsgård's eyes convey such distress in some scenes, that it jolts the audience into remembering that he is spiraling, out of control. At other times, they go dead, and viewers can see him falling backwards into the chaos. Meanwhile, Goth has shown her chops as one of the big names for her generation's horror icons. Her ability to go from 0 to 100 on the madness scale is impressive and whiplash-inducing. That being said, some of the scenes felt as though they dragged. At 117 minutes, the film could have easily been 90 minutes instead. Would the audience have missed the message or any plot points? No. Would they have missed out on lots of uncomfortable close-ups of the cast's eyes and Cronenberg's artistic vision? Yes.Infinity Pool isn't for everyone. The violence, nudity, body horror, and drug use will deter the faint of heart. However, if a bold artistic horror film will fit the bill, Infinity Pool is worth a try. It leaves the audience with thought-provoking questions and a lasting impression. The ending packs an eloquently powerful punch as well, perhaps because of the silence involved in the poignant closing scenes.