Even the worst vacation you’ve ever had — screaming kids, delayed flights, cruise ship food poisoning — has nothing on Infinity Pool, the latest from director Brandon Cronenberg (son of body horror master David Cronenberg). What starts as an escape to a picturesque resort swiftly turns into a bizarre and gruesome game of violence and brutality, with a little existential horror thrown in for good measure. Infinity Pool doesn’t fully explore the elements that kick off its high-concept premise, but it’s worth it to watch two talented actors absolutely lose their sh*t.
The film takes place in the fictional country of Li Tolqa, where James (Alexander Skarsgård) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) are taking an all-inclusive vacation at a peaceful resort. James is in search of inspiration: his debut book came out six years ago, promptly flopped, and he’s struggling with the follow-up, only able to survive because Em’s family owns a sprawling publishing empire. Eventually, the couple meets Gabi (Mia Goth), one of the book’s rare and elusive fans, and her partner, Alban (Jalil Lespert), and start hanging out.
Central to the story is the country itself. While wealthy Western tourists hang out on fancy expensive beaches, the rest of Li Tolqa is a poor, superstitious, and extremely conservative country. Tourists aren’t even supposed to leave the resort, which is surrounded by an intimidating fence complete with armed guards. So when the two couples sneak out to go to a local beach for a picnic, things ultimately turn bad following a car accident.
James finds himself convicted of a crime in a country where the penalty is execution — but with a twist for the very rich. Criminals are able to pay an exorbitant amount of cash to be cloned and then forced to witness their double being executed instead of them. It’s kind of like a Get Out of Jail Free card, except your poor clone still has all of your memories when they’re being stabbed to death. You even get to keep their ashes. Rather than a punishment, though, for some people, this process of seeing themselves die awakens something dark deep inside of them. James finds himself pulled into a group of these sickos, led by Gabi, who treat Li Tolqa like a hedonistic getaway, where they are essentially invincible and able to do whatever they want because they can pay their way out of it.
Infinity Pool raises some interesting questions about existence, as James and his cohort briefly contemplate what it means to have a clone with all of the same memories. But that doesn’t last long. Mostly, they use the legal loophole as an excuse to do whatever they want, coming up with twisted “games” full of brutal violence to make their vacation more exciting. They get caught, watch themselves die, and do it all over again. (It’s a kind of death loop, if you will.) The film is primarily a chronicle of James’ descent into madness through surreal montages of orgies and murder.
Ultimately, there isn’t much to the existential side of the story, and the film also breezes past its thread of wealthy, mostly white tourists turning a foreign country into a hedonistic playground. These elements are part of the initial setup and are quickly forgotten, so don’t go in expecting something like a horror version of The White Lotus that explores colonial tourism. But Infinity Pool still works as a strange and unsettling exploration of the depths of depravity the tourists sink to, thanks to a combination of Cronenberg’s shocking imagery — this is definitely not for the squeamish, with lots of close-ups of brutal violence and, uh, morphing genitals — and the performances of Skarsgård and Goth.
Skarsgård really embodies the premise. He starts out as clean-cut and clearheaded, but the seduction of power and violence turns him into something completely different by the end. At times, he’s a hulking brute fueled by a local drug, and other times he’s a drooling mess led around like a horrible puppy. Goth, meanwhile, continues to be one of the preeminent faces of modern horror, following up her turn in Pearl with another stunner — controlling events with a calm sort of charm that’s almost mesmerizing. When she does finally let loose, it is absolutely terrifying.
As an intellectual exercise, Infinity Pool is disappointing — but as a strange and uncomfortable ride through (an all-inclusive) hell, it definitely works. And it will make your next hotel breakfast buffet seem not so bad after all.
This review is based on a screening at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Infinity Pool is in theaters on January 27th.
FAQs
The film is primarily a chronicle of James' descent into madness through surreal montages of orgies and murder. Ultimately, there isn't much to the existential side of the story, and the film also breezes past its thread of wealthy, mostly white tourists turning a foreign country into a hedonistic playground.
Is the Infinity Pool surreal? ›
Surreal and twisted, it's an interesting thriller. James and Em Foster are holidaying on The Island of La Tolqa, a place with very strict rules and regimes.
What is the theme of Infinity Pool? ›
The film delves into themes of hedonism and affluence, highlighting how wealth can lead to extreme and immoral desires. Director Brandon Cronenberg intentionally leaves the ending ambiguous, allowing audiences to interpret it on their own terms and engage with the film.
What is the meaning of Infinity Pool? ›
a swimming pool in which the top of the water is at the same level as the edges surrounding the pool, and seems, to someone in the pool, to stretch to the horizon (= the point where the land appears to join the sky): The hotel has an infinity pool that overlooks the ocean.
What is the premise of an Infinity Pool? ›
Infinity Pool is a 2023 science fiction horror film written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg, and starring Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, and Cleopatra Coleman. The film follows a struggling writer and his wife on vacation who, after an accident, discover the country's dark culture.
Why is the infinity pool controversial? ›
Infinity Pool, the out-there horror movie from director Brandon Cronenberg, was one of the talks of the Sundance Film Festival. With its eye-popping and blood-gushing violence and hallucinatory orgies, the movie had audiences rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
Is an infinity pool an illusion? ›
The pool is designed to play a visual trick on the eye, making you feel like there is no separation between the water and surrounding landscape features. The swimmer becomes one with the skyline in a way that just isn't possible with the interference of all those extra right angles.
What is so special about an infinity pool? ›
Also known as zero-edge pools or rimless pools, infinity pools are designed to give the illusion of a missing edge. The water appears to flow beyond the edge and into, well, infinity. These pools are often built with beautiful horizons beyond the 'missing edge'.
What is the disadvantage of an infinity pool? ›
Maintenance: Infinity pools require more maintenance than traditional pools. The water level in the pool must be constantly monitored and adjusted to ensure that the water flows over the edge correctly. This can be time-consuming and require more effort to maintain.
What is another name for the infinity pool? ›
The term "infinity pool" is sometimes used for an "infinite edge pool," "vanishing edge pool," or "negative edge pool." These are pools that have no swim current. Instead, they have one or more exposed wall (the weir) that's a fraction of an inch shorter than the water level, so water flows into a catch basin below.
The film stars Skarsgard as an author who finds himself trapped on a particularly disturbing vacation and Cronenberg - son of legendary director David Cronenberg - has now revealed it was partly inspired by his own trip to a resort in the Dominican Republic 20 years ago.
Is James a clone at the end of infinity pool? ›
Eventually, James is the last person at the airport but appears to make the decision not to go home, seen later at the resort, alone, contemplating his experiences in the rain. There's a distinct possibility, however, that the James at the end of Infinity Pool isn't really James, but one of his clones.
Where is Li Tolqa supposed to be? ›
Infinity Pool is set in the fictional coastal nation of Li Tolqa – the film was shot in Croatia, but wherever it is, Li Tolqa is an impoverished police state with a draconian legal system which stipulates the death penalty for all crimes.
Is the infinity pool movie worth seeing? ›
With maximalist body horror and scintillating plot developments, Cronenberg crafts a movie that is as profane and gaudy as the rich people he portrays. It is absolutely not a movie for the faint at heart, but those who can stomach its trippy, terrifying turns should dive right into this pool.
How gruesome is infinity pool? ›
Disturbing and bloody. Not pervasive or frequent but very graphic, brutal, and bloody violence and gore including vicious stabbings, executions, bloody shootouts, throat slitting's, body horror, bludgeoning's, and grisly injury detail with aftermath.
Is infinity pool psychological horror? ›
Written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg, 'Infinity Pool' is an ambitious, headily atmospheric psychological horror that doesn't quite go the distance. Initially intriguing, then frustrating, and finally exasperating, the screenplay tries to balance too many different elements, failing at nearly all of them.
