“Drug-fueled orgies. Ejaculation. Adult breastfeeding.” Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool shocked the Sundance Film Festival this January, garnering lots of headlines thanks to its provocative subject matter and earning an NC-17 rating along the way. Now that it’s streaming and we’ve seen it for ourselves, let’s just say all of the controversy was well-deserved. James (Alexander Skarsgard, who is having one helluva run between this, The Northman, and Succession) and Em (Cleopatra Coleman) star as a couple who go on vacation to a fancy resort as a means to respark their crumbling marriage, as well as break James’ lengthy case of writer’s block. While there, they meet the enigmatic couple Gabi (a positively electric Mia Goth) and Alban (Jalil Lespert), a married couple who definitely seem like they’re up for some swinging. After a night of drinking and dancing, the foursome decide to leave their posh resort for a day of adventuring and, well, things go amok rather quickly. (“Never leave the resort” has long been one of this writer’s mantras, and for good reason!) What happens next is weird, wild, and wholly nightmarish, and not for the faint of heart, but if you’re up for a challenging evening filled with some big ideas about morality, fidelity, and class, it’s worth wading into this Infinity Pool.
Photo: Everett Collection
