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Infinity Pool, the latest movie from Brandon Cronenberg (son of body horror maestro David), sees Alexandar Skarsgård plays struggling novelist James, who goes on a vacation with – and bankrolled by – his wealthy wife (Cleopatra Coleman) to a luxury resort in an attempt to shake off his writer's block. When he meets fellow guest Gabi (Mia Goth), however, things rapidly go off the rails, before descending into a bloody, gory frenzy of human cloning, orgies, and increasingly nefarious behavior. The movie had its world premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival and it's diving critics.
IndieWire's Ryan Lattanzio praises the lead actors, but finds the rest of the movie falling short, writing: "Stars Alexander Skarsgärd and Mia Goth deliver terrifically unhinged performances as a failing novelist and a mysterious tour guide, and Cronenberg has absolutely no shortage of original ideas, but the whole thing feels bloodless, cold and clammy as a speculum."
Meanwhile, Bloody Disgusting's Meagan Navarro praises the movie's twisted humor: "It’s as starkly funny as it is shocking. But it’s much more incisive than a wild depiction of the badly behaved upper class. As its title suggests, the longer James gets caught up in the madness, the more his edges and identity blur. That means the movie is almost certain to be polarizing. But Cronenberg’s sense of style, paired with an unrelenting sense of dread and tension and two utterly captivating, depraved leads ensure these provocative waters are well worth wading into."
Vanity Fair's Esther Zuckerman isn't so sure, writing: "Infinity Pool starts off as a parable that is incredibly on trend these days: A beautiful, wealthy couple grapples with their insecurities in a stunning locale. But then, true to form for any member of the Cronenberg family, it swerves into something more intangibly horrifying. The nightmare that unfolds is certainly effective. At the same time, there's an emptiness at the movie's core."
According to Variety's Peter Debruge: "The Canadian helmer has created the cinematic equivalent of an M.C. Escher drawing, which bends and breaks and folds back on itself in impossible ways. Brain-shattering as it all is, we can hardly tear our eyes away."
Slash Film's Chris Evangelista is fully on board though. "Cronenberg creates an atmosphere of nauseating dread through it all as things grow increasingly deranged. No fooling: this is not an easy movie to watch. It gets under your skin and makes your flesh crawl. It infects you. You'll probably want to take a shower after the credits roll, and then take another shower just to be sure you're extra clean," he writes. "This may have you begging the question: why would I even want to watch this? Because it is a fantastic execution of style and form; of depravity and lunacy. On top of it all, there's a darkly comedic tone lurking beneath all the madness, bordering on satire."
Infinity Pool arrives in US theaters on January 27. The movie doesn't have a UK release date yet. For more viewing inspiration, check out our guide to the other best upcoming movies on the horizon in 2023 and beyond.
