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Crimes of the Future
Referencing his 1970 feature of the same name, Crimes of the Future marks Cronenberg’s fully-fledged return to body horror and the cinema of transgression.
Director: David Cronenberg
Overview
Cronenberg's first feature for seven years collates a number of key Cronenberg themes, most specifically body fetishism, sexual manipulation, scientific and corporate skulduggery. 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.
Bracingly perverse and unafraid to explore the darker recesses of society, the film plays like a greatest hits of The Brood, Crash and eXistenZ. The performances are first rate, as is regular composer Howard Shore's brooding score. Long live the new flesh. Named in Sight and Sound's 50 Best Films of 2022.
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