In this sci-fi nightmare, wealthy tourists pay to watch their own clones be executed.
In short: Brandon Cronenberg’s 2023 film Infinity Pool explores a dark, fictional legal loophole in the country of Li Tolqa. Foreign nationals who commit crimes can pay a hefty fee to have a duplicate created and executed in their place, allowing the original to walk free and continue their depraved vacation.
The film follows James Foster, a struggling novelist vacationing at a seaside resort, who accidentally kills a local man while driving. Because the country of Li Tolqa has a unique diplomatic agreement, James is offered a choice: face the death penalty at the hands of the victim's son or pay to have a clone created to suffer the execution instead. James chooses the latter, watching his exact double—complete with his own memories—be killed with a dagger.
This experience marks the beginning of a descent into a hedonistic subculture. James is introduced to a group of Western tourists who return to the resort annually to commit crimes, knowing they can use the cloning technology to avoid consequences. The group manipulates James, pushing him to engage in violence, orgies, and abuse, all while questioning his own identity as the 'original' version of himself. The film explores themes of soul-destruction and moral decay, contrasting the father's focus on bodily disintegration with the son's interest in the corruption of the human spirit.
Production for the film was an international effort involving Canada, Hungary, and France, with principal photography taking place in Croatia and Hungary in 2021. Upon its release, the film polarized critics and audiences. While some praised the visceral style and performances—particularly that of Mia Goth—others criticized the plot as shallow or overly reliant on gratuitous violence. The film’s initial cut even received an NC-17 rating from the MPA, which was later edited down to an R rating for its theatrical release.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Infinity Pool (film)
- Also: Wikidata — Infinity Pool · CC0
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