Horror Movie Review: Infinity Pool (2023)

Infinity Pool is a horror movie that was written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg, releasing in 2023. It stars 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.

The name “Cronenberg” is an iconic one in the horror genre. What’s the first thing that comes to mind for you when you see that name associated with a horror film? For me, it almost guarantees that something is going to be pretty weird. Now, I don’t mean that in a bad way just it’s definitely a relevant point. When I say “weird” I mean something that is going to challenge you psychologically. This applies to the style of storytelling as well as the visual style, the gore and so forth. There’s always a bizarre nature to them and Infinity Pool is most certainly a Cronenberg film.

Infinity Pool revolves around James and Em Foster as they take a trip to an idyllic island resort. They meet the mysterious Gabi, who invites them to venture away from the resort for a day. On the way back from their little excursion, James runs over and kills a man. He is soon arrested and told that he will be sentenced to death, or they will have a clone of him executed in his place if he can afford it. Shining a light on a world where criminals and murderers take charge, Infinity Pool touches on the lack of accountability and how it can cause one to lose their humanity.

Firstly, the biggest highlight of Infinity Pool is the performances. I’m a huge Mia Goth fan and this character was clearly written with her in mind. Does anyone play unhinged as well as her? I don’t think so. That’s nothing against Alexander Skarsgård who delivers a highly varied performance as well. He perfectly demonstrates the emotions involved with someone going down the rabbit hole and losing their mind in the process.

Secondly, Infinity Pool is filled with sometimes fascinating imagery and often times disturbing. Either way, it’s very visually interesting in places.

The basic concept of the film is a really great one but it gets pretty muddled by how events play out. There’s often a heightened level of intensity that can feel a bit much. I really enjoyed the scene in which James is interrogated after first being arrested for the hit and run. It really plays upon the fear and anxiety of such a scenario fantastically well. This is a more quiet and focused moment, I wish there had been more of them.

The whole “clone” concept is cool but it could have been expanded upon much more. My mind was racing with potential outcomes but it doesn’t really lead too much. Sure, there’s the general paranoia surrounding the classic “who is real” conundrum but it could have been better. Events unfold at a frustratingly slow pace with way too much long winded dialogue to pad things out.

Brandon Cronenberg has nailed the feeling of unpleasantness that you’d expect to find in his father’s movies. They’re often very effective at messing with your head but that doesn’t usually equate to something that you necessarily enjoy watching. It can be fun to dissect them and attempt to figure out just what any of it meant.

Overall, Infinity Pool is a hard film to recommend. However, if you want to experience something that feels like genuine horror then look no further.