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 infinity pool trying to say? ›
Summary. Infinity Pool explores the concept of identity and the loss of humanity when there are no consequences for committing crimes. The film delves into themes of hedonism and affluence, highlighting how wealth can lead to extreme and immoral desires.
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.
Is Li Tolqa real? ›
Flag of Li Tolqa, a fictional island nation in Brandon Cronenberg's horror film "Infinity Pool"
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.
How disturbing is infinity pool? ›
With graphic/bloody injury and impact detail. 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.
Why is infinity pool controversial? ›
Another key part of the plot is a slew of slayings — in the form of bloody executions. Doubling down on the gore, the film's tagline is “Only through blood can you release your past.” And there are demented, hallucinogenic, graphic orgies.
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? ›
High cost: pools with infinity edges have high costs, which is their most notable drawback. The initial construction is more expensive than a traditional pool.
But his self-hatred—his yearning for self-destruction—catches up with him. He does kill himself in the end, when he kills his clone “dog.” The scene where he breastfeeds on Mia Goth symbolizes James being reborn. Yet he can't bring himself to return to the normal world.
Is infinity pool based on a true story? ›
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.
Why is it called the infinity pool? ›
Why are infinity pools called infinity pools? The name comes, unsurprisingly, from the way the pool looks. The lack of a traditional pool border on one side means that the water flows over the edge, creating a sense of endless water to swim in.
Is James a clone in Infinity Pool? ›
In a twist that makes Infinity Pool an early contender as one of the best sci-fi movies of 2023, James has himself cloned multiple times throughout the movie, beginning with the clone who must atone for running over the man, something which influences his wife's decision to return home.
What country is the Infinity Pool supposed to be in? ›
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 Jet Li a Buddhist? ›
In 1998, Li converted to Tibetan Buddhism when he was promoting Lethal Weapon 4 in Taiwan. His master is Lho Kunsang. In 1987, Li married Beijing Wushu Team member and Kids from Shaolin co-star Huang Qiuyan, with whom he has two daughters, Si and Taimi.
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.
Has anyone ever fallen out of an infinity pool? ›
An American tourist has died while on vacation in Bali after falling from the edge of an infinity pool. The woman, known by her initials CML, was 35 years old and believed to be on holiday with her friend, also known by her initials KLH.
Is infinity pool a body horror? ›
Infinity Pool is part body horror, part folk horror, with twisty hints of JG Ballard and Ian McEwan; it also features a tremendous turn from Mia Goth, who is currently ruling our cinema screens elsewhere in Ti West's shocker Pearl.
