Infinity Pool (2023)

As excited as I was about Brandon Cronenberg's previous film, 'Possessor', I was equally disappointed to see 'Infinity Pool', which is a piece of inferior work camouflaged as artsy horror, and critics in general seem to have swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

A wealthy couple are vacationing on a fictional island nation in an unknown part of the world (but filmed in Croatia) where pretty much everyone risks being sentenced to death for any minor offense, but where money can buy you a clone that is executed instead. When James (Alexander Skarsgaard) accidentally drives over a man and kills him, he takes advantage of this option. However, we're not told how this deeply backward country has managed to invent a technique that not only creates perfect clones, but also endows them with the memories and personality of the original. In other words, it's not science fiction, it's fantasy (or lack thereof). The idea isn't even original, but was used last year in 'Dual', which is possibly even worse.

The movie isn't helped by having the female protagonist (at least on the poster) as Mia Goth, who, despite her obvious lack of talent, is used a lot in today's horror films. But Skarsgaard is excellent, as is Cleopatra Coleman as James' rich wife.

Brandon Cronenberg seems to be more interested in making a weird and quirky movie than telling a coherent story, and that's a shame. After all, the two can easily be combined. Just ask his dad.