Parents' Guide to

Infinity Pool

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Surreal thriller has extremely graphic sex and violence.

Movie R 2023 117 minutes
Infinity Pool Movie Poster: Mia Goth looks at Alexander Skarsgard while both are half submerged in water

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 17+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Charlie H.
Charlie H. Adult
February 17, 2023
age 15+

A boring, lame horror violence isn't as extreme as some people make it out to be!

Going back when I first saw the trailer, I actually coming to think that its a bi misleading. After watching the trailer for this movie and actually only seeing the trailer once, I thought it would be this great disturbing, violent scary horror movie. But after watching it, yes it was violent and disturbing but at the same time, I thought it would be more extreme than what it actually turned out to be (Terrifier 2 was far more extreme than what I saw in this movie). And I heard bad things about the sexaul content, hearing that it was also to like the extreme, but it turned out to be a hallucination of an orgy that didn't go too into graphic detail and a now & then some nude people, but that was really it. I mean, the Wolf of Wall Street sexaul/nude content was on a higher scale! So this movie didn't get me off guard on really anything on how "extreme" the violence and sexaul, nude content had in it! In the orignal cut of this movie, which would have earned the rating of NC-17, it has James doing a penis ejaculating with hand stimulation. Although this is shown in the R-rated cut, it isn't shown right up front to the most graphic content. We know it's happening due because of semen falling onto the floor. This scene is so not-needed. It literally adds no storyline to the movie, and it is really unnneeded. Why it was even needed in the R-rated cut baffles me. And I'm actually wondering why the director added also an orgy scene that was long but nothing too explicit . . . just knowing what they were doing is how explicit it got. It's these kind of moves that the director added that makes me question the direction of the film. I mean, you delete those scenes out and it's pretty alright without them. This movie really has an interesting plot, but how it's executed is how it got me turned away from the movie. It doesn't balance out anything and even the theme/plot of the movie gets lost in all that's happening. I mean this isn't a movie with a lot happening, but this is a movie that needed a lot of explantion on the depth of the movie and the plot. It just kind of felt it was going with you just figuring out what was happening. Because I promise you, I got lost in the film more than once and by the end of the movie . . . I was wondering what was the main theme being exploited in the end. It just is frustrating to watch a movie that has little to no explantion and at the end of the movie you have to rely on someone's guesses on what the theme of the movie was than what you think it was because you got confused and lost during the film. Overall, this film has low character building is low. The plot and themes of the movie gets lost, confused, and muddled down in the end. The violence and sexaul cotent are R-rated yes, but not extreme. And really, the only good part about this was Mia Goth's acting . . . she carried the whole movie on her back, but in the end, it wasn't enough to redeem this movie on how low it fell and how bad it turned out!
Nunyabiznesss
Nunyabiznesss Adult
February 6, 2023
age 18+

If you like this stuff, then it's great. If not...

This movie designed to evoke a visceral reaction from its viewers. If, like me, you are into watching really crazy messed up things on the big screen that are done really, really well, then this is for you. If not, dare yourself.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In INFINITY POOL, James (Alexander Skarsgard) and Em Foster (Cleopatra Coleman) are vacationing at a posh (and fictional) all-inclusive resort located on the island of La Tolqua. Despite orders to stay on the property, they explore away from the resort with a couple of charismatic guests (Mia Goth, Thomas Kretschmann). When a terrible accident occurs, James and Em become complicit in the local government's unusual method of serving justice without impeding tourism.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (8 ):

Cronenberg's unsettling update on Lord Tennyson's poem "The Lotos-Eaters" will make you rethink international travel. As the film opens, wide shots of serene scenery turn upside down. That hints at what's about to happen to James Foster, but it's really more a message to viewers that their expectations of the moviegoing experience are about to be flipped. By making Infinity Pool so outrageous, Cronenberg offers searing commentary on, well, a lot, particularly when it comes to people who are very affluent. What's stimulating when a life has no rules, no consequences, and no challenges? The acts become more emboldened and deplorable, simultaneously shocking and desensitizing audiences. Cronenberg suggests that if someone's moral compass doesn't have a solid casing to hold it in place, it will spin out of control until it breaks. The film doesn't play by any rules itself, and, thanks to extraordinary performances from Skarsgard and Goth, it's likely to attract young adults. But with its intensely graphic violence and almost psychedelic sexual content, for viewers whose brains are still developing and are trying to understand the world around them, it falls into the category of "things you can't unsee no matter how hard you try."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in Infinity Pool. Do you think the presentation serves the story, or could it have succeeded with less?

  • What does the cautionary term "slippery slope" mean, and how does it apply here? Is James a willing or unwilling participant? What are "coercion" and "consent," and how do you see those concepts demonstrated in the film?

  • Like The Menu, The White Lotus, and Triangle of Sadness, Infinity Pool satirizes the ultra rich. Why do you think this theme is popular? How does this film compare to the Lotus Eaters in Homer's The Odyssey and Lord Tennyson's poem?

  • Are rules with consequences necessary for people to act with morals? Why, or why not?

  • Discuss the use of sex and nudity in the film. Why do you think writer-director Brandon Cronenberg chose to depict sex the way he did? Do you think the psychotropic drug use was necessary to the storytelling? Is it glamorized?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: January 27, 2023
  • On DVD or streaming: April 11, 2023
  • Cast: Alexander Skarsgard , Mia Goth , Cleopatra Coleman
  • Director: Brandon Cronenberg
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors, Latino actors, Black actors
  • Studio: Neon
  • Genre: Thriller
  • Run time: 117 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: graphic violence, disturbing material, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and some language
  • Last updated: May 28, 2023

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