3 out of 5 stars
I declared myself Mia Goth’s biggest fan when I saw her in “Pearl” and “X.” When I saw her name attached to “Infinity Pool” I couldn’t wait to see her in something new.
I love to go into a movie without prior knowledge and keep the plot a mystery until I sit down in the theater. This wasn’t hard to do with “Infinity Pool,” there was hardly any advertising for the film leading up to its release in theaters. I had no idea what to expect.
The film begins with a writer, James (Alexander Skarsgård) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) vacationing on an island resort. In James’ search for inspiration for his next book, he meets a fan of his first novel, Gabi (Mia Goth). Gabi and her husband Alban (Jalil Lespert) offer to take their new friends out to see the rest of the island, away from the resort, which is forbidden.
The authorities arrest the couple in the morning after discovering what happened the night before. James and Em are forced to witness the strange justice system of the island. Gabi and Alban take a special interest in James, and the vacation turns into a strange downward spiral.
The film is immediately unsettling and a little vague. Some of the best parts of “Infinity Pool” are the fantastic use of creative perspective, and the score that keeps the audience on edge.
At times, the film’s most creative parts are also the weakest points. Twisted perspectives make the film too “artsy” for its own good, and scenes that may have been intentionally confusing leave the audience unable to understand the direction of the plot.
The film was originally rated NC-17, but after some cuts and an appeal to the Motion Picture Association, the rating was reduced to R. This film features intense violence and gore, death, vomit, nudity, drugs and one not-entirely-consensual sex scene.
While “Infinity Pool” does have some shortcomings, Mia Goth’s performance is worth watching. The idea behind “Infinity Pool” boils down to one moral message: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Photo from latimes.com.