Sightlines · reception

How Infinity Pool was received

2023 · Brandon Cronenberg · Infinity Pool on Sightlines

The arc

At its 2023 Sundance premiere it got admiring but split reviews and made modest box office. Since then it has grown a cult following as a nasty, sticky piece of rich-tourist satire, helped along by Mia Goth's rising-scream-queen run.

What’s debated

Fans argue over whether it's a sharp satire of wealthy impunity or a provocation that mistakes grossness for depth, and whether it outdoes Brandon Cronenberg's own Possessor.

Its footprint

Mia Goth's unhinged, taunting turn, especially her sing-song "Jamesy," became a favourite clip and reaction meme. It's part of what made her an online horror icon alongside Pearl.

Where it stands

A cult object for the extreme-art-horror crowd, regularly listed with Possessor as proof that Cronenberg's son is carving out his own body-horror lane.

Did you know? Cronenberg had to trim some of the most explicit sexual imagery to bring it down from an NC-17 to an R rating for its US theatrical release.