Infinity Pool - Uncut (2023) ***1/2

Brandon Cronenberg continues to make interesting and engaging films, and so far he's 3 for 3. After Take 2 of Infinity Pool (2023), I'm still not sure the movie is as transgressive as I wish it was, but (particularly after watching behind the scenes footage/featurettes) I have an increased appreciation for the hallucinogenic sequences and their wonderful practical/in-camera f/x and production design.

As "weird" as IP is, it might be BC's most accessible picture yet. I believe this owes to the fact that it's a pretty funny film. Mia Goth is obnoxious in her role and, thus, perfectly suited to it. After a rewatch (this time the uncut NC-17 version, which honestly doesn't change the feel of the film, as it amounts to a whopping 18 seconds of difference) I still don't know that I feel there is anything deeper to glean than what appears on the surface. Some interesting themes (wounded masculinity, ego, class, mortality, female power) are explored but never quite satisfactorily. Additionally, the payoff is a bit lacking and the movie drags at times but I still think IP is very good.

Recommended for fans of Cronenberg's Possessor (2020) (review), Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999), and Villeneuve's Enemy (2013) (review).

Brandon Cronenberg Feature Films Ranked