'Crimes of the Future' Review: David Cronenberg Returns With a Reflective yet Unfocused Horror Flick
R: Strong disturbing violent content and grisly images, graphic nudity, and some language
Runtime: 1 Hr and 47 Minutes
Production Companies: Argonauts Productions S.A., Serendipity Point Films, Davis Films, Telefilm Canada, Ingenious Media, Bell Media, CBC
Distributor: NEON
Director: David Cronenberg
Writer: David Cronenberg
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Don McKellar, Scott Speedman, Yorgos Karamihos, Tanaya Beatty, Lihi Kornowski, Nadia Litz
Release Date: June 3, 2022
In Theaters Only
As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations. Alongside his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), a celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances. Timlin (Kristen Stewart), an investigator from the National Organ Registry, obsessively tracks their movements, which is when a mysterious group is revealed. Their mission? To use Saul’s notoriety to shed light on the next phase of human evolution.
It’s been too damn long since horror master David Cronenberg sat behind the camera and did what he does best: hot body shit. No more dramas and thrillers; we’re going back to his roots with Crimes of the Future (no relation to his 1970s feature of the same name).
It’s refreshing to witness a filmmaker like David Cronenberg, who pioneered what body horror has become today, craft a world that matches his deranged psyche. As expected, Crimes of the Future is not for the faint of heart. It begins with a disturbing murder that makes you clutch your pearls. If this ain’t your first Cronenberg rodeo, you knew what you were getting into. Compared to his other works, the horror elements are disturbing but also the tamest to date, which is purposeful for the narrative he tells.
His leads, Saul (Viggo Mortensen) and Caprice (Léa Seydoux), are performance artists who inhabit a steampunk dystopian future where humanity evolved to the extent that people feel little to no pain. The two try to break the barrier by doing experimental/sensual performances involving organs, an operation machine, and a Bop It-like controller. Not to give anything away but their live performance scene is so creative and horny, weird little freaks will end up panting and going, “I’ll have what he’s having.”
It’s me. I was the weird little freak.
Due to how well Cronenberg establishes the world visually and tonally, every performance scene lessens the freak value. I hardly was ever disturbed. I was actually fascinated as if I was an audience member occupying this space. Performance art today is not that far off from the stuff you see in this film.
It's intriguing and enamoring how Saul and Caprice navigate their world while their relationship is tested by the evolution of modern art surrounding them. The drama between them is the best aspect the film has to offer, for Mortensen and Seydoux showcase intimate chemistry.
A major standout in the film is Kristen Stewart, who plays Timlin, an investigator of an organ ministry who becomes an instant simp for Saul. All of her dialogue is delivered in a soft, hushed manner and it matches the film’s weird vibe. Heck, I’d argue it stands out due to everyone being monotonous while she’s on a whole different wavelength.
If you’re expecting a balls-to-the-wall body horror, prepare to be disappointed. Crimes of the Future takes a very meditative approach that’s reflective of Cronenberg’s career thus far. Saul seeing his medium evolve in real-time is transparently David making a commentary on modern art, which I respect. If that concept was thoroughly focused on, I would’ve fully appreciated his narrative more.
The primary frustrating issue with Crimes of the Future is that it gets very gluttonous regarding what kind of story it wants to tell. At times the film wants to be a statement on the evolution of art, then it derails to be somewhat of a crime thriller where a detective and Saul are investigating this mechanical cult, but then it’s also a love triangle between Saul, Caprice, and Timlin. Oh, and there’s a subplot about a dad wanting Saul to do some Frankenstein shit to his deceased son that’s tossed halfway through the film. It’s just far too much and doesn’t completely commit to all the ambitious routes it wants to take. After trying to keep tabs of everything Cronenberg attempts to do, I found myself mentally checking out. Due to the lack of focus, I spent the rest of the movie feeling disappointed by the lost potential. There are glimpses of pure genius and self-reflection, but they’re fleeting.
While Cronenberg is at his most emotionally mature and inventive with Crimes of the Future, which had moments of pure greatness, its lack of focus undermines its beautiful exploration of adapting to new age art. His diehard fans will love this and while I appreciated certain moments, I wish it offered more to make me go that extra mile. I still want that Operation-meets-Bop-It sex-machine. I need it in my system right now.
