Year: 2022
Country: Canada (principally)
Subgenre: Body Horror/Futuristic Dread
Runtime: 107 minutes
Director: David Cronenberg
I likely would have found one or another of Cronenberg's horror films--body horror all (save for The Dead Zone)--to recommend this year. I mean, he IS one of my favorite directors of any genre. But I have read so many Cronenberg fans expressing a variety of negative opinions of his latest, that I decided instead to weigh in on the subject. The disappointment that die-hard fans have in this film is understandable--I read a few reviews written by fans in the last week or so, that proved they are indeed fans of his work (many mentioned Crash) that expressed a big let down with this. Others who out-right disparage it, I wonder about. I get the disappointment--not the vitriol. Personally I am a fan of the film. But, then again, we own Cronenberg's early films: one of which is entitled Crimes Of The Future. If you have seen this early film, then the follow on with Cronenberg's return to his almost patented "future dread" make more sense. Sure, this is NOT a feature length version of that hour long film (like say Tim Burton's Frankenweenie), but it is an updating of that film, mixed with a furtherance of his take on the current horrors of the 2020's. And, sure, Vigo Mortensen looks a little silly in that almost fantasy role playing hooded cloak (one person comparing it to D&D), but he is equally as disturbing in the parts of the film where he is "podded" up with sleep machines or the truly bizarre "eating chair." We also have Cronenberg updating his weird "future sex" to a level he hasn't used before (only the dark sex in Crash is more menacing and, well, gross). So many of Cronenberg's old favorites are here: the interaction of humans with machines and vice-versa, the growing of weird new organs often associated with new-erotica and the public performance aspect of human transformations. He adds new details, like organ removal as performance art and the forced evolution-via surgery-to be able to eat plastics (he has a particular beef to pick with surgical addiction in the form of a bar/spa setting which hits a little close to what is actually happening now!). But these are all updatings on his original take on "mad science." From the beginning Cronenberg's obsession with modernity and science--both mechanized and viral--have been his art. He even brought it into his remake of The Fly. Add to that, this film marks his return to movie making of any genre, never mind to his signature body horror--which he always pens himself--makes this a special film for me. I obviously don't know him personally, and don't want to speculate too much on his private life, but it's hard not to notice that this film comes after the death of his wife and his sister, who was his closest partner in his filmmaking. Denise Cronenberg, who passed away in 2020, was David's eldest sister and most frequent costume designer. I almost see his return to film making, after a kind of retirement, as a grieving process. I do admit, however, I would have loved to have seen what Denise came up with for this film. That he lost one of the people who gave us so many "Cronenberg looks," from the red surgery wear in Dead Ringers to the "gimpy" look of Crash to the game play wardrobe of eXistenZ, it's no wonder that many fans sense something "off" with the futuristic throw-back wear of the film. This I can live with! The rest of the film is pure David Cronenberg body horror. Flawed, maybe. But Cronenberg is one of those filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick whose work always improves with age. Oh, and did I mention that Kristen Stewart is in this?? I mean, she's a hot commodity in the acting world right now. If you haven't seen his 1970 film of the same name, do check it out.
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| Poster for the 1970 film |
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