From the evidently disturbed mind of Brandon Cronenberg (Possessor ) comes a dark and twisted tale of a dystopian all-inclusive vacation resort with a sinister operation at play. Infinity Pool is a mind-bending rollercoaster of hedonism, violence, and unimaginable horror.
What is Infinity Pool About?
Suffering from the dreaded Writer’s Block, James Foster (played by True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård) and his wealthy wife, Em ( Cleopatra Coleman, In the Shadow of the Moon and The Right One ) take a trip to a vacation resort on the fictional island of lI Tolqa.
Shortly after arrival, James is approached by a fan of his (failed) book, who – with her husband – quickly befriends the inspiration-seeking couple as they meet over dinner. The next night, the female fan, Gabi ( Mia Goth, Pearl and Nyphomaniac ) and her husband, Alban ( Jalil Lespert, Dreamchild and Yves Saint Laurent ) encourage the new couple to break the resort’s number one rule and leave the grounds of the complex.
Sneaking out of the grounds with the help of a guard, they borrow a car and drive to a nearby beach, where the alcohol flows freely and inhibitions are left behind. With James offering to take the driver’s seat for the return journey, the group head back to their accommodation.
With drinking and driving never being a good mix, they knock down and kill a local man and, after some deliberation, decide that going to the Li Tolqa Police department will only end with their bodies being found somewhere the next day. Instead, the new friends continue on their journey and decided to keep the incident between themselves.
The next morning, a heavy pounding on James’ room door is quickly followed by his arrest, where he is hauled before the resort’s chief detective, Detective Thresh ( Thomas Kretschmann, Resident Evil ) who tells the despairing guest that his crime is punishable by execution. However, there’s a way out that involves a heavy fee and a somewhat unusual compromise. In fear for his life, James hastily takes the offer.
Infinity Pool – The Compromise
Led to a drab, washed-out part of the resort he is stripped bare and thrown into a room, which quickly fills with a red goo, casting an exact replica of our hapless hero. After waking up feeling disorientated and groggy, James is told that his ‘double’ is ready and led down into darker recesses to meet an exact living replica of himself. A replica that will stand in his place for his state execution – an execution he is forced to attend.
From here begins a descent into madness, paranoia, and sinful lust.
Infinity Pool is a Work of Art
Featuring at the Sundance Film Festival, it was inevitable that Infinity Pool was always going to have that slightly pretentious artistic air about it, and on that, it doesn’t fail. Having said that, Cronenberg’s creative flair is displayed in abundance throughout the two-hour runtime. Clever camera angles and movement perfectly complement the foreboding atmosphere that hangs like a stormy cloud until the final credits roll, while flashing imagery makes for the ideal cherry atop the delicious gateaux of horror that is Infinity Pool.
Infinity Pool Summary
Infinity Pool is a smorgasbord of horror, sex and the outright bizarre. Under the masterful directorship of Cronenberg, an unsettling anxiety washes over the viewer while, at the same time, creating an insatiable intrigue that stays until the dying embers fade out, and beyond.
The story is hard to follow and goes way beyond the boundaries of the weird and the wonderful but Infinity Pool is definitely a mind-blowing trip and one that we would happily take again.
