Directed By David Cronenberg

Starring – Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux, Kristen Stewart

The Plot – As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations. With his partner Caprice (Seydoux), Saul Tenser (Mortensen), celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances. Timlin (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.

Rated R for some adult language, grisly imagery, graphic nudity and strong violent content

CRIMES OF THE FUTURE Trailer (2022) – YouTube

POSITIVES

The master of bodily horror returns with his first directing effort in eight years, and simultaneously one that shows his penchant for provocative themes and evocative imagery hasn’t subdued in his prolonged absence. Part of what makes Cronenberg a compelling force behind the camera is his fearless direction that not only bends and distorts the confines of reality and ensuing storytelling, but also in conjuring up an atmospheric range in presentation that can be palpably interpreted in every single frame of the movie’s challenging compositions. The lighting here is immaculate, cohesively feeding into the sociological peril of the narrative’s foreground with an evidential dread that breeds hopelessness to the interpretation of these evolving people, all the while harvesting the fantastical elements of the movie’s creativity that are made all the more engrossing with David’s unrelenting depiction to unnerving imagery. This is definitely where the film earns its elusive rating, as incisions, piercings, and all things taboo are zeroed in with carefully calculated focus that pushes the envelope just long enough to linger with the audience, while eluding exploitative emphasis for the sake of hollow shock value. This also affords us depth in special effects designs, both practical and computer generated, that bring this mystical macabre to life, garnering believability and gruesomeness in ways that zero in on the tragic aspect of this condemned society, and one that Cronenberg uses to attain accessibility in the limitless possibilities of the imagery’s candid exploration. David isn’t the only notable essence to the movie’s production, as iconic musical composer Howard Shore rejoins Cronenberg with crafting an irresistible essence in synth-heavy scores that elicits an underlining ominousness to the depraved refinement, with tempo-setting strings and chords setting a pulse to the movie’s impulses that seem to convey something deeper and darker persisting in every ambitious character motive. Speaking of those characters, the performances themselves are hit and miss, however the work of Seydoux and particularly Mortensen transfix with foreign endearment to their duo of portrayals. Viggo’s deliveries are the primary source of appreciation here, as he not only crafts mystique and intrigue to each line read, but also articulates the bodily struggle persisting from within without it ever feeling comical or heavy-handed in its intention. This is matched with Seydoux’s timely emotional registry, which affords her and us the periodic glance into the half empty glass of humanity that is missing so painfully from the movie’s experiences, and for her the vast range of appeal that should cement her more leading lady turns as a result of such emotional heft that she constantly bares on her broad and commanding shoulders.

NEGATIVES

Similar to Cronenberg’s last film, the dramatically underwhelming “Map to the Stars”, this film too carries with it the exact same problems that condemned that previous effort, all the while wasting away tremendous ambition in the themes it directly refuses to explore with anything other than obtuse level delving. Aspects pertaining to existentialism, constructive vanity, and sociological climate change are just a few of the themes the film attempts to tackle, before retreating with the weight of its channeling feeling too heavy on the 102-minute film asked to unleash them all with consequential influence in what they’re channeled. The storytelling feels shallow, attacking exposition with an air of pretentiousness that nearly condemn arthouse horror to mainstream audiences directly on arrival, and the vastness of the corresponding world-building that we’re asked to indulge upon, leaves much unfulfilled in the way of flat stacking subplots and bombshell deliveries that literally go nowhere, feeling more alarming the longer you think about their complete lack of influence on what eventually materializes. That brings us to the bigger problem here, and one that causes with it the kind of emotional disconnect to the experience that is monumental in terms of overwhelming obstacles and underwhelming returns, and that’s the character development. Aside from the fact that there isn’t a single character included in this film who I was even remotely invested or even momentarily intrigued upon, there’s a greater problem with their motivations, which are explored with the kind of depth of a storefront mannequin that undercuts anything monumental or confrontational that happens to them. This leads to little to no compelling drama attained throughout, which in turn strains the pacing to arduous levels of frustration, and muddles the conflict with a complete lack of urgency or vulnerability that screeches its way to an underwhelming climax that is the echo of money and time lost. Finally, while I brought up the positive returns of the performances, it’s frustrating that Kristen Stewart regresses painfully here from her turn in the Oscar nominated “Spencer”, with a turn that is distracting in ways that unintentionally garner laughs to the bizarre bewilderment of her character. Part of it is certainly the way she’s directed, with the character feeling different from anyone else in this established environment, but the bigger problem definitely persists with Stewart’s commitment to the dialogue, which often feel like she’s questioning what she’s delivering, eviscerating believability and nuance in ways that equally shred the chemistry she’s supposed to share with any character in frame, while boasting a turn for Stewart that, while energetic for a change, doesn’t blend synthetically with the sum of the environment surrounding her.

OVERALL
“Crimes of the Future” is a deeply frustrating film, filled to the brim with ambitious ideas that are explored in unappealing fashion. While Cronenberg remains a conceptual powerhouse behind the lens, returning to the subgenre that made him a generational visionary in the first place, his approach to one of his more thoughtful and intimate scripts leaves it longing for passion, intrigue, and even the kind of compelling controversy that solidifies it as a viscerally complicated experience, instead of the lethargically disconnected certification it becomes comfortably saddled with.

My Grade: 5/10 or D