Brandon Cronenberg’s latest film has developed a reputation as his most twisted to date. <\/p>
When Brandon Cronenberg\u2019s new film Infinity Pool<\/a> premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January, it quickly developed a reputation as the director\u2019s most twisted to date, complete with visceral bursts of violence and the sort of body horror frequently favoured by his famous father David.<\/p>\n The film follows events at a luxury resort in the fictional nation of Li Tolqa, where struggling writer James (Alexander Skarsgard) is led down a path of hedonism by the mysterious Gabi (Mia Goth) after they fall afoul of the country\u2019s laws.<\/p>\n While the reviews have mostly been very positive, there are some who have objected to the more disturbing elements of the film \u2013 and ahead of its UK release, Cronenberg spoke exclusively to RadioTimes.com<\/a> about how he didn\u2019t intentionally set out to shock audiences.<\/p> \u201cTo be honest, it\u2019s not something I\u2019m seeking out,\u201d he said. \u201cI know people who don\u2019t like the film sometimes bash it for trying to be shocking. I\u2019m not actually trying to be shocking though \u2013 it\u2019s not shock for shock\u2019s sake. There is obviously a great tradition of shock cinema, and that\u2019s fine, I enjoy those films.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I also think just seeking out shocks is kind of limited from my perspective,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd as a goal, to me the violence is generally quite narrative \u2013 in this case, the plot of the film isn\u2019t a conventional plot, so much of it is being driven by the character psychology. And so it\u2019s not a very story-driven film, it\u2019s a psyche-driven film.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the director, audiences need to \u201cfeel in a visceral way\u201d what his characters are going through.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAnd not just know on paper that they\u2019re committing acts of violence and having an orgy, but to actually have this kind of visceral response. Because that then calibrates the audience so that the next section of the film will be felt in a certain way, and they\u2019ll understand the character\u2019s experiences from the inside.\u201d<\/p>\n Cronenberg continued: \u201cSo similarly with [my previous film] Possessor, the main character\u2019s psychology is totally warped and shaped by these violent experiences. And to me, that\u2019s really the goal rather than to shock people.\u201d<\/p>\n