Movies

‘Infinity Pool’ Stars In The Crazy X-Rated Scenes That Shocked Sundance

January 27, 2023

Mia Goth takes aim in Brandon Cronenberg’s dark horror satire Overflowing swimming pool. (Photo: Neon/Courtesy Everett Collection)

Like father, like son. Last summer, Canadian horror author David Cronenberg shocked Cannes Film Festival audiences with his latest bizarre fantasy, Future Crimes. Now his son, Brandon Cronenberg, has gone to shock the Sundance crowd with his dark and bloody comedy, Overflowing swimming pool, which premiered at the festival earlier this week ahead of its January 27 theatrical debut. Set in an upscale resort town in an impoverished fictional country, the film features graphic sex scenes, surreal sci-fi imagery and unsettling acts of violence that have even shaken, shaken and rolled its stars – Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth.

“It was pretty shocking,” Goth told Yahoo Entertainment of his immediate reaction after reading Cronenberg’s script. “There are tons of scenes in there where I was just like, ‘Oh my God! It’s pretty there. But the moment you get on set, it’s more exciting than anything. There’s so much planning that takes place, so when you’re shooting those scenes, it’s a lot of fun.

“It kind of shocked me the first time I read it,” adds Skarsgård. “It’s very rare to read something so quirky and original. And the journey that my character goes on is so crazy! It’s refreshing to do something crazy and extraordinary and wild. Plus, Brandon is truly the nicest human being on the planet. Even when you’re shooting all these crazy, wild, violent scenes and orgies, when you step onto the set, you feel like it’s full of friends, and that energy makes things a lot easier. It’s just a safe environment.

It’s worth nothing than the version of Overflowing swimming pool that the general public will see this weekend isn’t the same version that left Sundance crowds gasping for air. The film’s distributor, Neon, is releasing an R-rated cut that omits some of the more explicit footage, including an already notorious X-rated shot that will only be shown in the yet-to-be-released director’s cut. When asked if hardcore horror fans should wait for the uncut experience, Goth encourages everyone to jump into the R-rated version.

“The differences between the two [cuts] are very minor,” she explains. “Brandon was able to modify it in such a way that no matter which version you watch, you will always get the full experience.

Already the reigning Scream Queen of Twitter after the Ti West punch X and pearl Last year, Overflowing swimming pool gives the Chameleon Goth the chance to dive deep into a radically different persona. The actress plays Gabi, a vacationing model who befriends struggling Skarsgård novelist James Foster, who desperately hopes the trip will recharge his creative batteries. Instead, he finds himself in deep trouble with local authorities after causing a fatal hit-and-run accident that demands a unique form of corporal punishment: being cloned and then being forced to watch that clone be executed for the crime of the original.

Alexander Skarsgård in the infinity pool. (Photo: Neon/Courtesy Everett Collection) — Alexander Skarsgård in a “bananas” scene from *Overflowing swimming pool.* (Photo: Neon/Courtesy Everett Collection)

After James’ first journey through this twisted justice system, he inevitably learns that the seemingly naive Gabi is actually much more sinister. Enlisted in his elite group of clone criminals, he loses all sight of finishing his novel in favor of his mad hedonism. And Goth says Gabi “manipulated” her as much as she manipulates James.

“She was a real gift to play,” raves Goth. “She’s so deadpan in who she is and so removed from who I am in my daily life that it was actually quite refreshing and liberating. I thought she presented herself in a certain way, and then the moment I got to the end of the script, she surprised me and I was really, really impressed with her.”

Goth is also impressed by the digital afterlife in which her main character pearl continues to have online. As the Oscar nominations approached this week, Pearl memes were all over Twitter as horror fans appeared to be attempting their own version of Andrea Riseborough’s successful best actress word-of-mouth campaign. Unfortunately, Goth didn’t make the final cut, and the actress has previously noted that “change is needed” if horror films are ever to be taken seriously by Oscar voters.

“It’s amazing,” Goth says of the ongoing fandom surrounding him pearl alter ego. “I was involved in this project from its conception, when we only had an idea for the film. I helped write the screenplay, then I produced it, and I really saw it throughout. So the fact that it’s always received that way is very special.”

In addition to continuing Goth’s recent string of instantly memorable films, Overflowing swimming pool also joins the new wave of dark satires that target the rich and powerful – think recent hits like The White Lotus, The menu and newly nominated for Best Picture, triangle of sadness. “There is definitely an element of that,” confirms Skarsgård. “These very wealthy tourists are in this sheltered little bubble who are acting with impunity and going crazy. There are a lot of shows and movies about that right now.”

“But it’s not strictly an ‘eat the rich’ narrative either”, The man from the north the star continues. “What attracted me was the psychology behind James and his journey. What is it like to be confronted with your own mortality and literally witness your own execution? What is it? What does that mean? What would you go through? To be honest, I found it more interesting than the ‘eating the rich’ aspect.”

Overflowing swimming pool playing in theaters now