'Infinity Pool' is a sun-soaked, blood-soaked psychological horror

While on holiday in the beautiful seaside country of Li Tolqa, author James (Alexander Skarsgard) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) encounter actress Gabi (Mia Goth) and her husband Alban (Jalil Lespert). When a day-out ends in a hit-and-run and they flee, the local police soon catch up with James and offer him a choice - a death sentence carried out by the son of the man he just killed, or pay a fine to have a clone made of himself to meet the same fate...

Brandon Cronenberg's work, up until now, has always been held in contrast and comparison with his father David's work. When considering that the elder Cronenberg's early work was schlocky horrors like 'The Brood' and 'Rabid', it's fascinating to note how much more refined and sophisticated the younger Cronenberg's work is with just two movies under his belt. 'Infinity Pool' has all of the wit and viciousness of a JG Ballard or William S. Burroughs story, all of it slinky social satire and savagery at every turn.

In the space of a few short years, Mia Goth has been able to insert herself into horror history as the reigning queen of elevated horror. Like in 'Pearl', she's able to project an air of complete misanthropy and detachment that's utterly terrifying to watch. Alexander Skarsgard, by comparison, is just led around by her like a drooling dog - something that becomes literal in the final act - and plays the hapless wanderer with surprising ease. Cleopatra Coleman, playing Skasgard's on-screen wife, disappears pretty quickly from the story when things turn sour in the fictional country and never really gets a chance to develop. That's kind of the point, of course, that Skasgard's character has no meaningful relationship with anyone other than himself. He's a failed author, a failed husband, but because Mia Goth's character takes a shine to him, he's latched onto her.

'Infinity Pool' doesn't take long to get weird and disturbing. Indeed, you find the first twenty minutes or more are spent just laying in wait for things to ramp up. Unlike his dear old dad, there's less of a tendency towards body horror and mutant freakshows. Instead, Brandon Cronenberg tends towards social horror. The group of tourists that Skarsgard falls in with, led by Goth, take part in home invasions, drug-induced orgies, and clap along when their clones are savagely executed right in front of them. Of course, every holiday has to end, but it only comes to an end when the group turns on Skarsgard and he becomes the butt of the joke, rather than part of it.

'Infinity Pool' doesn't make for easy viewing, obviously, and it doesn't offer up easy moral judgments and examinations either. The country where it's set seems to have no issue in murdering people for sodomy or blasphemy, enforcing their death penalties without remorse, yet seems fine with taking money from the "tourists" to facilitate their little excursions. The drugs, the cars and the guns they use are all provided to them. Is it that 'Infinity Pool' and Cronenberg are saying countries that engage in tourism are just as culpable in the havoc they wreak on themselves? Or is it simply that Western tourists will take advantage whenever they can?

'Infinity Pool' is never concerned with offering an easily digestible answer for audiences. That's fine, but when the movie is wrapped up just a little too cleanly and easily, you get the sense that it's kind of shallow and empty. Maybe that's the point of 'Infinity Pool' - that all pleasures are temporary and no amount of sun, sea, sex or social depravities you partake in will help ease the horrifying truth that people are awful, no matter where you are.