[6]
Writer/director Brandon Cronenberg (Antiviral, Possessor) casts Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd (The Northman) as a novelist seeking inspiration on the fictional island of Li Tolqa, where he accidentally commits vehicular manslaughter and is sentenced to death for it. But there’s an alternative punishment — if he can afford it. He can pay to have the island government clone him, and then he must watch his clone be executed. SkarsgÃ¥rd’s character opts for the second option and soon discovers a private ‘gang’ of super-rich hedonists who have all been cloned/killed several times. They see it as a way to commit crimes and indulge in all manner of vices without any real penalty. While the gang persuades SkarsgÃ¥rd to debase himself and embrace their reckless lifestyle, he begins to grow a conscience. But by the time he decides to escape, the gang is far from willing to let him go.
Infinity Pool is a conceptually interesting movie with moments of palpable horror, but if it’s trying to deliver a message, I can’t quite figure out what it is. I don’t expect every horror movie to have a message, but this one really seems like it’s on the verge of saying something, only to leave us hanging. The third act feels overly-protracted and Cronenberg passes up several opportunities to build narrative mystery and suspense. But as I often say: I’d rather watch a messy but interesting movie than a tidy bore. Watching a man wrestle with the choice between being civilized or wild is enough to keep me watching. SkarsgÃ¥rd gives a solid performance, almost always in a heightened state of confusion, grief, or madness. He’s matched by the always-terrific Mia Goth (Pearl) as the gang spokesperson who sexually entices him on more than one occasion. Tim Hecker’s score grates on the nerves at times, but Karim Hussain’s cinematography is often striking.
With Cleopatra Coleman and Jalil Lespert.