Crimes of the Future – Film Review

As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations. Accompanied by his partner, celebrity performance artist Saul Tenser showcases the metamorphosis of his organs. Meanwhile, a mysterious group tries to use Saul’s notoriety to shed light on the next phase of human evolution.

Sometimes I definitely feel like popping in a good old-fashioned body horror film, and honestly, what better director of this strange sub-genre of horror is there than David Cronenberg? Interestingly, his new film Crimes of the Future is his first science fiction/horror film since 1999’s Existenz.

Crimes of the Future definitely takes some humongous swings in terms of its story and just how strange and dystopian it is. Some parts of it kind of reminded me a bit of Blade Runner mixed with The Fly. Sadly, though, this film goes nowhere near as deep as Blade Runner, oftentimes bringing forth a muddled message and some themes that are a bit heavy-handed, but for those who are looking for some gross-out horror, this should do the trick.

The film’s biggest strength is by far its insanely crazy, sprawling world. The world that these characters live in is incredibly desolate and lost. When watching the film, you’ll oftentimes feel yourself getting a little grossed out and you’ll probably feel uncomfortable just by looking at the state of living.

What makes things even more chilling is that the film refuses to give us a date in which it all takes place, meaning it could be set in the very near future. Does this mean that the things depicted in this movie are going to actually happen in real life? Of course not, but the thought of it definitely makes it quite chilling.

The direction from Cronenberg is definitely a strong point as well. You can tell that he had a grandiose vision for this kind of story, and I’m glad that he got a chance to tell it, even if I found the story to be a bit of a drag at times, and despite the themes being way too messy.

All of the performances populating this film are fantastic as well. There’s Viggo Mortensen in the lead role of Saul Tenser, a man who grows new organs inside of his body as part of “Accelerated Evolution Syndrome.” He has a certain aura of unease in this film that you won’t be able to shake.

Léa Seydoux is equally as uncomfortable to watch in this film in the role of Caprice, who is Tenser’s partner who observes and tattoos his organs in his personal operating theatre. But perhaps my favorite performance here comes from Kristen Stewart as Timlin, an investigator working for the National Organ Registry.

Crimes of the Future most certainly feels like the kind of movie that its director thought was going to be a game-changer, but even some of Cronenberg’s lesser works are still enjoyable and respectable. This is exactly that kind of movie. Don’t expect a masterpiece. Expect to be creeped out and grossed out, and you’ll have a good time.