Infinity Pool - Brandon Cronenberg 2023

Infinity Pool (2023)

Director - Brandon Cronenberg, Cinematography - Karim Hussain

"This is the ashes for you to take. Consider this a souvenir."

Ready or Not (2019) Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

July 10th 2023

Endless List of My Favorite Movies

Ready or Not (2019)

Infinity Pool

Summary: Struggling writer James Foster (Alexander Skarsgard) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) spend time at a seaside resort, where they meet Gabi (Mia Goth), her husband Alban (Jalil Lespert), their friends, and the dark side of the country in which they're holidaying.

Commentary on nepotism and privilege swerves at end of second act and doesn’t really recover. Still better than dad’s latest.

Rating: 3.5/5

Photo credit: LA Times

Infinity Pool (2023, dir. Brandon Cronenberg) - review by Rookie-Critic

I'm not really sure where to even begin with Infinity Pool. I'll just start by saying I'm not sure that I really understood it. Firstly, Brandon Cronenberg is definitely his father's son. Body horror and just a general sense of bizarre permeates every square inch of this film, and it echoes the strange vibes of the elder Cronenberg's Videodrome and The Brood. Sometimes this works in the movie's favor, and other times it doesn't. I think that the first two acts of the film are enjoyable and keep you drawn into what is happening onscreen. You want to see where the story takes Alexander Skarskård's character James Foster. The bizarre feels more intriguing than alienating, and Mia Goth is fascinating as who I would call the film's antagonist, Gabi Bower. However, the film falls apart in the third act. Sequences become longer and more abstract as James descends into a state that I would call madness, and everything just feels like a fever dream. The themes get muddied and the message is hard to grasp. The only positive from the first two acts that carries over is Goth, whose performance turns just as bizarre as the film itself, but in a very entertaining and functional way. Goth has really busted out of the gate over the past year and really found her niche, from X to Pearl to this, and she always looks like she is relishing every second that she gets to do this in a way that feels like she is inviting the audience to come along and enjoy it with her. She is quickly becoming a name that I associate with quality film making or, in the case of this film, a quality performance, at the very least. I think this is partially by design, but for me, Goth was the only reason I was still invested by the end of the film.

I think that Brandon Cronenberg's biggest problem, at least in Infinity Pool (I admit I haven't watched any of his other projects), is that he goes too abstract. A thing that I admire about his dad's film making is that, no matter how strange, or how grotesque and out there the events of the film get, David Cronenberg's films always have a very clear statement and very clear themes. There's no guesswork, really. Room for interpretation on the specifics and what each piece of the movie is saying, sure, but the overall through-line is clear and the moral of the story is always right there, available and accessible. They're still wildly disorienting and weird movies, but you know what you're watching. With Infinity Pool, I was never quite sure what exactly I was looking at or what I was supposed to be getting out of the experience of watching it. I have a couple of ideas, but they're loose at best. Also, I don't mean to just keep comparing father to son, but when their styles or so intensely similar to each other it is almost impossible not to. I'm not sure I can recommend Infinity Pool unless you're just in the mood for something that's very strange and not very rewarding of an experience. If I did give a reason to watch it, it would be because of Mia Goth's excellent performance and a pretty solid first two acts, but not much else. Maybe it's just a story and a message that is so alien to me that I'm never going to understand it, and this film could really resonate with someone else. I'm not going to give up on Brandon Cronenberg, I've heard good things about his film Possessor, but Infinity Pool wasn't a fantastic first introduction.

Score: 5/10

Currently only in theaters.

Bad movie I have Die in a Gunfight 2021

Earthstorm (2006)

My rating: 6/10

I mean, yes, it's basically an even sillier knockoff of Armageddon, but on the other hand, it didn't leave me feeling like I needed a shower the way Bay's movies tend to, so I'm forced to consider this the superior movie. Plus Dirk Benedict is there being a smarmy asshole, so that's fun.

Ready or Not (2019) – Exploring the Past

TL;DR – An electric tense film with more than one moment that made me audibly gasp ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene. Ready or Not Review – Every year there are films you want to see that just slip you by, and today’s film is one of those. I had always meant to see Ready or Not in cinemas, but the session times never lined up. It also missed my…

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W A T C H I N G

A Clockwork Orange - Stanley Kubrick 1971 Infinity Pool - Brandon Cronenberg 2023

Reseña | 'Muerte Infinita' (Infinity Pool)

Aunque dispersa en su discurso, 'Muerte Infinita' cumple con ser una película que inquieta al público.

James es un escritor que no ha publicado en años y está buscando inspiración para su próximo trabajo mientras vacaciona con su esposa en la isla de Li Tolqa. Ahí conocen a la pareja Gabi y Alban, quienes los invitan a pasar una tarde con ellos, la cual termina cuando James atropella accidentalmente a un nativo de la isla. Ahí descubre que para pagar por su crimen un doble suyo será ejecutado.…

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//Happy 36th birthday to Ashley Leggat

I had to make these

Happy Halloween fuckers

Carlito’s Way will be released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on September 26 via Arrow Video. Tom Ralston and Obviously Creative designed new artwork for the 1993 crime thriller from director Brian De Palma (Carrie, Scarface).

David Koepp (Jurassic Park) wrote the script, based on the 1975 novel by Edwin Torres. Al Pacino and Sean Penn star with Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzman, John Leguizamo, Jorge Porcel, Joseph Siravo, and Viggo Mortensen.

The limited edition version includes reversible artwork, a double-sided poster, seven double-sided lobby cards, and a booklet with writing by Barry Forshaw and original production notes, all packaged in a slipcase.

Carlito’s Way is presented in 4K with HDR and original stereo, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, and DTS-X audio options. Special features are listed below.

Disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Audio commentary by film critic Matt Zoller Seitz (new)

Audio commentary by Brian De Palma’s Split-Screen: A Life in Film author Dr. Douglas Keesey (new)

Disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Audio commentary by film critic Matt Zoller Seitz (new)

Audio commentary by Brian De Palma’s Split-Screen: A Life in Film author Dr. Douglas Keesey (new)

Interview with author Edwin Torres (new)

Interview with editors Bill Pankow and Kristina Boden (new)

De Palma’s Way - An appreciation by film critic David Edelstein (new)

All the Stitches in the World: The Locations of Carlito’s Way - Filming locations then and now (new)

Interview with director Brian De Palma

The Making of Carlito’s Way - 2003 featurette with cast and crew

Original promotional featurette

Deleted scenes

Theatrical trailer

Teaser Trailer

Image gallery

Also included:

Reversible artwork

Double-sided fold-out poster

Seven double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions

Booklet with writing by Barry Forshaw and original production notes

Gangster Carlito Brigante (Al Pacino) gets released early from prison thanks to the work of his lawyer, Kleinfeld (Sean Penn). Vowing to go straight, Carlito nonetheless finds dangers waiting for him in the outside world. As Carlito works toward redemption, Kleinfeld sinks into cocaine-fueled corruption. When Kleinfeld crosses the mob, Carlito gets caught in the crossfire and has to face a hard choice: remain loyal to the friend who freed him or protect a new life with the woman he loves (Penelope Ann Miller). With enemies closing in from all sides, Carlito must find his way before it’s too late.

Pre-order Carlito’s Way.