10 Exact Moments Horror Movies Stop Trying

Brandon Cronenberg has been making an impact on the horror scene and encroaching on his dad’s old body horror turf for some years, and Infinity Pool represents his latest, most glossy, and star-packed effort to date. The film follows struggling writer James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) on holiday to a seaside resort in the fictional country of Li Tolqa, where he endures a bit more excitement than he bargained for.

Linking up with Gabi Bauer, a fan of James' work, and her husband Alban (Mia Goth and Jalil Lespert), things soon get out of hand, and James unwittingly mows down a local in their car. Finding himself up for murder and, per the country’s custom, set to be killed by the victim’s son, the authorities offer James an unusual way out: make use of their cloning facilities – for a sizeable fee – and allow his doppelganger to be slayed in his stead.

What follows is a dark and compelling exploration of the boundaries of self, as James becomes part of Gabi’s group of rich tourists who run wild in Li Tolqa, committing crimes, paying their way out using a string of duplicates and coming face-to-face with their innermost natures. 

But then the whole thing flips into basically an open-world home invasion film, as Gabi and her gang reveal they targeted James for their own amusement. Cue chewing the scenery and maniacal laughter, as the deeper elements fall away for a fraught yet ultimately less rewarding conclusion.