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Four Bodies, Three Urns: Infinity Pool (2023)
Everyone seems to agree that Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool (2023) is pitch-perfect social satire, and everyone also seems to agree that it is more than just satire. The question is what else is it? While the film can be riffed on philosophically as much as sociologically, a puzzling scene at its end underscores how psychologically rich Infinity Poolis.
Film Overview
Infinity Pool follows writer James Foster (Alexander Skarsgard) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) as they visit a resort in the fictional country of La Tolqa. La Tolqa is a developing nation with something of a post-communist, Eastern European vibe. James is a struggling novelist hoping to find inspiration for his next book, while Em appears to be losing patience with his professional and financial stagnancy.
Things change when James meets Gabi (a stunningly good Mia Goth), a fan of his work, and her husband, Alban (Jalil Lespert). The next day, although guests are strictly forbidden from leaving the resort grounds, James and Em join Gabi and Alban for a seaside picnic. That night, while driving home quite drunk, James hits and kills a local farmer.
This is where things get interesting: the penalty for James is death, though La Tolqa has a unique law: for a substantial fee, foreign visitors may pay to have a clone or…
