Berlinale 2023: Infinity Pool

Six years after publishing an unpopular debut, novelist James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) still hasn’t written anything else. Seeking inspiration to rid himself of writer’s block, he travels with his wealthy wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) to the fictitious island of Li Tolga, where they stay in a luxurious resort. Their vacation, though, will soon be altered by Gabi (Mia Goth) and Alban Bauer (Jalil Lespert), a friendly Los Angeles-based couple who are great admirers of James’s work. After having dinner together, they wander around and leave the hotel grounds, which is forbidden by tourists under the government's rules. Unluckily, they get involved in a car accident that turns their peaceful vacation into a nightmare.

Brandon Cronenberg’s third film tries to portray horror through his grotesque and visceral style. However, its weak script never lets him explore this fictional world of violence and doppelgangers in a satisfying way. As one would expect, there are neon lights, gore, and explicit psychedelic sex scenes, but none of it is as transgressive or ground-breaking as it wants to be.

Infinity Pool continuously plays on shock value with things that aren’t shocking, leading its desperate attempt to disgust and discomfort to only induce apathy. The result is a strange, ineffective blend between Nicolas Winding Refn’s stylish thrillers, David Cronenberg’s obsessions with body alterations, and Pasolini's Salò or the 120 Days of Sodom, that lands leagues below the quality of its references.

If Possessor was a step in the right direction that showcased the talent of an intriguing auteur, Infinity Pool finds Brandon Cronenberg just as uninspired as his film's main character.