Infinity Pool Review

With spinning cinematography and flashing lights that seemingly cover the full-color spectrum, Infinity Pool is a literally dizzying cinematic experience that further twirls your brain around with an orgy (and actual orgies) of graphic content on its way to driving home its commentary. With intense and gratuitous depictions of violence and sex – but it’s all in service of effectively raising stakes and making its point. All of the outrageousnesses is counterbalanced by the monstrous flippancy demonstrated by the characters, and it sharpens the overall satire.

Some are not going to be able to stomach it. If you couldn’t handle the overload of bodily fluids in Triangle of Sadness or the menacing glee of Art The Clown in Terrifier, or if the name "Cronenberg" is unfamiliar to you, then you’re definitely not going to handle what Infinity Pool has to offer. If, however, you are like me and experienced the extremes of those films with a giddy smile and an appreciation for the expressed sentiments, Brandon Cronenberg has served up an early-in-the-year treat for us that are fans of the ultra-violence.

Such an endeavor requires bold actors. Brandon Cronenberg found a tremendous pair in Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth: two stars well-versed in cinematic sex and violence who make for a seductive and poisonous couple in Infinity Pool. Their chemistry together is successfully electric and dangerous, as Gabi lures James into an unimaginably dark world, and Skarsgård and Goth’s performances only become more impressive as the story plays out.

There is an under-the-surface darkness to James that we can see at the outset of the film, and Skarsgård both exposes it and cultivates it in brilliant ways over the course of the character’s arc – primarily through action and emotion over literal expression. The shifting balance of reserved and excitement in him is a treat to watch, and it leads to a conclusion that is precisely where the protagonist needs to be left.

Gabi also smells of trouble from the outset, and she doesn’t take long to prove that read correct – but Mia Goth’s job past the film’s setup is hooking James on a leash and luring him into a mysterious and mad new world, and her turn is extraordinary. Saying too much would ruin the fun of seeing the performance evolve, but the legion of horror fans that Goth earned as lauding devotees in 2022 with X and Pearl (raises hand) will love every minute of her work here.

Brandon Cronenberg continues his streak of crafting visually arresting works that shock and stun, and I'm sure his father couldn't be more proud. Like with swimming in the dead of winter, you have to brace for it, but it’s definitely quite the experience when you dive in. Watch this somewhere in my top 10 come the end of the year.

9/10

M3GAN Review

As designed, M3GAN is a life-like doll (or uncanny valley nightmare, depending on your perspective), and programmed with powerful and advanced artificial intelligence that drives her to do whatever is necessary for the well-being of the child with whom she is linked.

It’s the kind of creepiness that inspires grins and random chuckles instead of preparing you for big screams, and that’s wholly intentional; it’s perhaps a step too far for me to call M3GAN a horror comedy, but there certainly isn’t a fear that laughs are going to undermine the terror. When M3GAN starts to talk back to Gemma aggressively and assert more independence, her sharp personality lowers the temperature of your blood a bit, but simultaneously makes you want to let out an audible, “Oooh” like you’re a member of a talk show audience.

Where this film does excel is in the design of the character. The design is terrific, as her prim and proper appearance (albeit with Anime eyes) is contrasted in excellent ways by her disturbing behavior, and the techniques used to animate her are flawless. Puppeteering, visual effects, and a costumed performer (Amie Donald) were used by the production, and they all work together seamlessly to make the android seem like she is both alive and still a toy (the perfect recipe for generating uncanny valley-based unease).

By far the most entertaining sequence, already spoiled by the film’s surprising viral, meme-generating trailer, finds M3gan dance-murdering this one character set to the disco cult classic track “Walk the Night,” from the Skatt Brothers. (An equally moody use of Charlotte Gainsbourg’s “Deadly Valentine” assists in an overall well-curated soundtrack).

The main problem I have is with this being rated PG-13. You’re all set and ready for the cute/terrifying doll to go full tilt as a horror villain… but the movie never gets to that point, and there are fingers to be pointed at the decision for the production to target a PG-13 rating. There is undoubtedly escalation in the behavior of the antagonist, but it’s not translated well enough in her actions, with the full extent of her insanity being kept off-screen. This is a movie that should have an absolutely wild and bloody finale, and it’s unable to deliver it.

M3GAN isn’t entirely the experience I want it to be. I mean the writer of this was the writer of the cinematic Schlock fest "Malignant" so I was expecting way more over-the-topness. But its best qualities outweigh its faults in reflection. It’s a well-made, experience and an ok enough opening act for the horror movies to come in 2023.

7/10