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.
Content Advisory: Excessive or gratuitous violence
A novelist discovers the dark secret of the country he is vacationing in Infinity Pool. James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) is a novelist suffering from writer’s block who is on vacation with his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) in the island country of La Tolqa. James meets a fan named Gabi Bauer (Mia Goth), who asks James and Em to spend a day in the countryside with Gabi and her husband, Alban (Jalil Lespert). However, on the way back, James accidentally runs over and kills a local man. James is arrested by Detective Thresh (Thomas Kretschmann) and told that the punishment for his crime is death. However, James soon learns that tourists can pay to have a double of themselves created, who will be executed instead.
Infinity Pool Synopsis
Infinity Pool is the third feature film by writer/director Brandon Cronenberg (Antiviral, Possessor). The film stars Alexander Skarsgård as James Foster, a novelist who learns the dark secret of the country of La Tolqa. Excited after seeing a double of himself executed, James is introduced by Gabi to a group of tourists who have undergone the same experience. The group now commits horrible crimes in La Tolqa for fun, hoping that James will become one of them. However, it soon turns out that the seductive Gabi and her motives aren’t what they appear.
My Thoughts on Infinity Pool
Three films into his filmmaking career, it can be a valid argument to accuse Brandon Cronenberg of nepotism for following in his father David Cronenberg‘s body-horror footsteps while also acknowledging that the younger Cronenberg has established his own voice. While David Cronenberg tamed somewhat in his later years, his body-horror return with Crimes of the Future notwithstanding, Brandon Cronenberg does not hold back with his depictions of graphic violence and sexuality.
Infinity Pool examines what would happen to someone’s humanity if they can perform horrible crimes with no real consequences. In this sense, the film is almost a more cerebral version of The Purge. Infinity Pool is also an incredibly messed up film that will turn off many people.
While the film is somewhat polarizing, Infinity Pool features a standout performance by Mia Goth as Gabi, who is very much the femme fatal intent on corrupting Alexander Skarsgård’s James. After having a breakthrough year last year by starring in Ti West’s X and Pearl, Mia Goth’s performance in Infinity Pool allows her to get completely unhinged, and she seems to be having a lot of fun doing it.
At this point, Brandon Cronenberg has established the type of filmmaker he will be, and while there is some DNA from his father’s film, he has very much gone in his own direction. Infinity Pool is not the type of film for everyone and should probably be approached cautiously.
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