Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Infinity Pool’ on Hulu, A Horrifying Satire of the Corrupt Rich for the Sickos Among Us

“Let me tell you about the very rich,” wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald a century ago, “They are different from you and me.” Portraits of the obscenely wealthy are nothing new in cinema, but they take an even more sinister bent than usual in Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool, now streaming on Hulu (in addition to VOD services like Amazon Prime Video). Part sci-fi, part horror, wholly enthralling in its social commentary, this hallucinatory and harrowing film is by no means a wade into shallow waters.

INFINITY POOL: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Writer James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) are wrapping up their luxurious stay on the island of La Tolqa when they meet a fan of his novel, the fanciful Gabi (Mia Goth). Flattered by the attention and recognition, the couple spends some time with Gabi and her husband Alban (Jalil Lespert) exploring the island. On a drunken drive back to their hotel, James strikes and kills an island man with the car. Fearing the corruption of local police, the duo opts for a hit-and-run situation.

But the island has a … unique way of doling out justice that proves of a lesser worry than James feared. He can avoid the death penalty by forking over an exorbitant sum of money to have himself cloned and then letting the aggrieved party stab the double while he watches. While Em finds the sight of watching a facsimile of James die before her eyes, he finds it perversely exciting. James is not alone in this thrill, either. Gabi introduces him to a crew of wealthy tourists who convene on the island to commit crimes and then offshore the punishment to their clones. He’s quickly absorbed into their band of merry criminals yet slowly comes to the realization that perhaps this lifestyle is unsustainable.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The exotic resort vibes where the privileged learn their lessons – or don’t – give off big The White Lotus vibes. But the surrealistic turn the social commentary takes comes to resemble the savage satires of Luis Buñuel’s The Exterminating Angel or The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. (A more modern comparison would be Yorgos Lanthimos – but the really weird early Greek stuff like Dogtooth.)

Performance Worth Watching: Building on her superb work in last year’s Pearl, Mia Goth once again lights up the screen in Infinity Pool as someone off their rocker in ways that slowly yet suddenly become clear. She’s building a reputation as one of our best scream queens with her devotion to any character’s eccentricities and taking the energy in any scene up to an 11.

Memorable Dialogue: “I’ll never know if I’m really myself for as long as I live,” speculates Dr. Bob Modan (John Ralston) to a room full of “zombies” as to whether the cloning process has killed the original version of themselves. When James gets further pressed as to whether he witnessed his own demise, he replies, “I can only hope.” It’s a scene chock full of both the thoughtfulness and hedonism of the ultra-rich that defines the film.

Sex and Skin: When a movie’s first adventure into the carnal side is showing the protagonist receiving a hand job and ejaculating, you know all bets are off. Infinity Pool is a bawdy bacchanalia with so many odd varieties and displays of sexuality that they read like items from a club frequented by SNL’s Stefon. We’re talking hallucinatory orgies, breastfeeding, weird kinks – you name it, Infinity Pool probably has it in depraved droves. It’s genuinely shocking this film got released with an R-rating. (So, exercise caution if you’re watching this movie with someone. Make sure you’re really comfortable with them!)

Our Take: Amidst a wave of rather toothless satires lambasting the wealthy and privileged, it’s a treat to watch Brandon Cronenberg really go for it in Infinity Pool. It’s a vicious, nasty evisceration of a class of people who have found a way to indulge their darkest desires without facing consequences. With maximalist body horror and scintillating plot developments, Cronenberg crafts a movie that is as profane and gaudy as the rich people he portrays. It is absolutely not a movie for the faint at heart, but those who can stomach its trippy, terrifying turns should dive right into this pool. And don’t be afraid that it’s one of those movies where mind-bending sequences scramble meaning beyond recognition – Infinity Pool actually makes its message quite easy to grasp (in fact, maybe it’s a little too obvious at times?) without being overly simplistic or soapbox-y.

Our Call: STREAM IT! Only sickos (ha ha ha … YES!) need apply, but Infinity Pool is a creative and captivating take on both its subject and form. This takedown of people whose wealth insulates them from punishment is nuanced and nasty in all the right ways. Take a dip.

Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based freelance film journalist. In addition to Decider, his work has also appeared on Slashfilm, Slant, Little White Lies and many other outlets. Some day soon, everyone will realize how right he is about Spring Breakers.

Watch Infinity Pool on VOD