Infinity Pool – Movie Review (3/5)

INFINITY POOL is now on Hulu, and fans of sci-fi horror will want to check it out. After all, this is a  Brandon Cronenberg film, and body horror is part of his style just like his dad. Read our full Infinity Pool movie review here!

INFINITY POOL is a sci-fi horror movie that can now be watched on Hulu. Anyone who likes Cronenberg movies – both those by father and son – should definitely check it out. Admittedly, I’m not giving this the highest of ratings, but I did enjoy it.

More than anything, it has stuck with me. To me, that’s always a good sign as it means the filmmaker has managed to hit a nerve. Alexander Skarsgård is amazing in the lead, but the entire cast absolutely shines here.

Infinity Pool was added to Hulu on June 23, 2023, and it is already out on VOD.

The simple story that hits deep

In Infinity Pool, we meet the struggling writer James (Alexander Skarsgård) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman). They are at an exclusive isolated island resort. However, while they should be enjoying a perfect vacation, they clearly aren’t very happy.

The pristine beaches, always attentive staff, and gorgeous weather just doesn’t quite make them happy. Or, well, James isn’t happy. He hasn’t written a word since he released his debut novel six years earlier.

They came to the resort looking for him to find inspiration, which in itself seems like a bad idea.

Along comes the seductive and mysterious Gabi (Mia Goth), who convinces James and Em to venture outside the resort grounds. It isn’t really allowed, which is also strange, but not unheard of. Many luxurious resorts around the world are located in dangerous areas.

In any case, they end up in a tragic accident and with the zero-tolerance policy for crime, James is given the death penalty.

However, if you’re rich enough, you are given a choice: You can be executed or have an exact copy (as in a clone, complete with your memories) die instead. If you chose the latter, you still have to watch your copy be executed.

Alexander Skarsgård is breathtaking

Admittedly, I’ve always liked watching Alexander Skarsgård in everything he has ever done. From his iconic Eric Northman in True Blood to his roles in Big Little Lies, The Little Drummer Girl, and as Randall Flagg in The Stand.

In Infinity Pool, he effectively gets to play several versions of the same character. Versions that are increasingly brutal and under the influence of both people and various substances. Just to name to least spoiler-filled elements that impact James.

Leading him into this new world of debauchery, we have Mia Goth (X) leading the pack of very wealthy friends. She is perfect in this kind of role, where you never quite know what kind of person she truly is.

Also, I am always happy to see Amanda Brugel (Becky) in anything. She is part of the core cast, but I would’ve loved to see her even more front and center. To be fair, though, this is mostly about the Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth characters. As revealed by the poster.

Watch Infinity Pool on Hulu now!

Brandon Cronenberg is the writer and director of Infinity Pool. With movies from him, you never quite know what to expect. Of course, the same can be said for his father, David Cronenberg.

And yet, they do seem to both stay within the sci-fi and horror genres. For this movie, the body horror is different than in other movies but still hits hard. Overall, I preferred his previous Possessor, but that’s more of a personal preference than a quality marker, I think.

The runtime of Infinity Pool is just shy of two hours (1 hour and 57 minutes to be exact). While it is slow-burn at first, it really isn’t too long. Not for the tone and impact, Brandon Cronenberg is clearly going for here.

Infinity Pool is out on Hulu from June 23, 2023. 

Details

Director: Brandon Cronenberg
Writer: Brandon Cronenberg
Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman, Jalil Lespert, Thomas Kretschmann, Amanda Brugel, Jeff Ricketts, John Ralston