292: Infinity Pool (2023)

SPEAKER_07 0:04

Hey there! Whatcha doin? That's not yours!

SPEAKER_03 0:12

Spooky season greetings and salutations and welcome to Hacker Slash. If you're joining us again, welcome back. Let's mix things up a bit. It'll be fun. If this is your first time listening, welcome to the party. We are a horror movie review podcast dedicated to telling you whether a movie is a hack.

SPEAKER_06 0:27

A total joke? A waste of time.

SPEAKER_03 0:29

Or a slash. Totally killer, pun intended. We believe horror is for everyone, and as such, we're rating these movies with the perspective we've gained from our varying walks of life and the flavors of fear we fancy most. My name is Chris, I'm your friendly neighborhood slasher enthusiast. This week I'm joined by the classic horror connoisseur Sean.

SPEAKER_05 0:46

Do you want a buffalo sausage?

SPEAKER_03 0:47

The paranormal pair more Binx. I need the bunch hop. And making a comeback appearance, the Scream Queen Paris.

SPEAKER_07 0:54

I specialize in failing naturally.

SPEAKER_03 0:57

Paris is returned to help us unpack a Brandon Cronenberg film that proves to have something twisted lurking beneath its seemingly idyllic surface. Cronenberg blended his own vacation experiences with a science fiction story he had been working on, and the final result is a film that follows married couple James and M. Foster enjoying the luxury of an all-inclusive beach resort. A tragic mishap interrupts that tranquility, however, and unravels a hidden world that thrives on excess, chaos, and mind-bending hedonism. This week we're talking about Infinity Pool. Who's seen this one before?

SPEAKER_06 1:30

I remember hearing a lot of buzz when this movie first came out, but I understand the director is Brandon Cronenberg, which his father is David Cronenberg, who did the fly, and that was great. So how bad can it be, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:43

Hmm. Well, I had been wanting to check it out for that reason, because I'm a big David Cronenberg fan. I had heard a little bit about it leading up to the movie, and then nothing really afterwards. I didn't get to catch it in theaters, but it got to a point where I was like, I know we're probably gonna review this, so I guess I'll just wait it out until we do the episode, which worked out.

SPEAKER_07 2:01

That worked out beautiful, Banks. I actually watched this in theaters, seated with friends, because Mia Goth, obviously. Really had no idea what the hell it was because the trailers are super vague, but what we did know is that edibles would be part of our theater viewing experience. And boy, did I trip balls that first time. I bet. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:20

I can't even imagine what that experience would be like. I actually hadn't watched this in theaters. I watched this a while back, and I remember not knowing what I was in for because to be fair, I hadn't seen a David Cronenberg film, much less a Brandon Cronenberg film. You hear Cronenberg and you think body horror, disgusting, intense, gross, but I didn't know what that would feel like for me. So I went in with a pretty clean slate, but what were you all expecting?

SPEAKER_02 2:48

I love Cronenberg. Granted, I haven't seen Possessor or any of his other work, so this is like my first Brandon Cronenberg film. So I just thought he had big shoes to fill. I expected Mia Goth to do her great things, the Church of Mia Goth, and she was gonna give, and that's really, you know, no matter what she does, right? Throw that away, like it's gonna be amazing. Aside from that, I expected Strange. I expected hedonism, I expected the typical things that his father would put in his films, anyways, so I figured a little bit of that, a little bit of his father's flavor. And then obviously, just from the synopsis, Vacation Gone Wrong, maybe something to that effect. I just thought it would be nothing too wild in terms of plot, but I expected a little bit of weird, because that's Cronenberg, right? Like that, like you said, that is the name.

SPEAKER_06 3:37

That's very interesting. I think that's fair. I think, based on the trailer, based on what I heard about the film, I was really expecting this one to be one of those really unsettling horror films, films like Midsummer that really just make you feel some kind of way, right? Something that sits with you, maybe not always in the right way after watching it. That's what I was really expecting based on everything that I saw or heard about this movie. But outside of that, maybe just expecting a wild ride. So I was just in for it and hoping for the best.

SPEAKER_07 4:06

Honestly, Sean, same. I was expecting Midsummer vibes too, like something A24-esque, because I obviously had seen some of Mia Goth in the trailer. I don't know why, but I was also expecting like some sort of Manson family vibes where it's like a little bit culty. Yeah. But I also did not know that this film was made by a Cronenberg, and I will admittedly say that I have not a lot of knowledge for who that is, but I did see Crimes of the Future last year in theaters. So body horror, yeah, that definitely tracks. But yeah, going into this, I knew it was going to be just like kind of trippy, and that's partly why we decided to take edibles, but I will let the record show I watched it again last night completely sober, just to have a fresh take. Because sometimes substances can really alter your enjoyment of a film, for better or worse. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 4:52

But hold on, the real question is better watch on the edibles or not on the edibles. The people need to know. Yeah, the people want to know. I'll save that for the spoiler section. Okay. All right. We'll save it. We'll save it. But I will answer. You took the words out of my mouth when you mentioned the Manson family because a lot of the feelings that I got out of this film was like it's giving a clockwork orange meets the Manson family. Like a little mashup, if you will.

SPEAKER_03 5:18

That's so interesting because I didn't get anything culty. I just got really rich people trying to do purge but purge adjacent, and not quite as entertaining. At least that's largely what the feeling was. The opening of this movie, honestly, Sean, and please take no offense to this. The opening of this movie gives skinemarink for some reason.

SPEAKER_06 5:39

Huh. I have that written down. Wait, what? Really? There's no visual, it's fuzzy, it's grainy. I think it's also the voice, the opening dialogue, too. First thing I wrote when watching this movie was like, this opening scene is kind of giving me skinemarink vibes for a second.

SPEAKER_03 5:55

Yeah, it definitely was. This is also the first note I had written down. And between that first note and my last note, there was a lot. But let me just say that my last note says, uh, quite fitting, this movie is a lot. I felt a lot of things, and I almost think it would be too much of a spoiler to describe the range of feelings I had watching this, but was it an experience?

SPEAKER_07 6:20

Yeah. I will say, while watching on My Little Edible, I was tripping balls, y'all. I was like, what is happening? What is going on? Where am I? Who am I? What am I? All of those questions. Watching it again last night, some of the same questions, not as amplified, I would say, partially because I'd already seen it, partially because I was fully sober. But there's definitely a lot of really interesting questions this movie forces you to think about in a way that I was kind of like, like I feel kind of icky, you know? This movie made me feel a little icky.

SPEAKER_02 6:56

Yeah, because I think like there's a lot of ethical questions. Yeah. Just a bit that might come about. But I felt icky for other reasons that happened in this movie. And the problem is I feel like throughout the movie I couldn't wash it off. And not in a typical way, like his father's films. That's the only ones I can reference at this point, right? But it just hit different. It was very bizarre. I feel like at the beginning it was a rough start. I watched this with a watch party that we did with our listeners. Chris did as well. I thought that your video was broken, Chris, for like a good, I don't even know how long that intro scene was. I was like, oh, maybe it's my setup. Notoriously is usually the case. So I just felt like after I realized, oh, that's a part of the movie, okay. Now I know what kind of weirdness we're getting into, the artsy vibes, and then it just stayed that way. It was a little bizarre.

SPEAKER_06 7:51

Fair.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

I can take bizarre, but it's a different type of oddness. Let's leave it at that.

SPEAKER_06 7:56

It is for sure bizarre and odd. There's a lot of feelings to your point, Chris, too. Like I know we talked about the opening scene in Skin'Rink. I know I was relating to you, Paris, with the Manson family vibes, and I kind of brought in a Clockwork Orange into the mix as well, but there's just this feeling of like uneasiness, uncomfortable, being disturbed. This movie felt even a little perverse in some ways, and there was this lingering tension surrounding you throughout the entire film. It's one of those movies that makes you feel some kind of way. Yeah, I don't think you can watch this and feel nothing.

SPEAKER_07 8:27

I don't think that's possible.

SPEAKER_03 8:28

I'd like to motion for a little perverse to be the 2023 understatement of the Hackerslash year.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

Okay. Yeah. All right, all right.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

You had to have said that because we can't necessarily spoil it yet. That has to be in.

SPEAKER_07 8:42

Yeah, I don't want to give too much away, you know. But perverse is a great word. And so rarely appropriate.

SPEAKER_03 8:48

Until now. Leave it to now. And only would this movie find a way. This movie and another movie that it it reminds me of, and Paris, it's appropriate that you're here. I got a lot of feeling of neon demon in this movie.

SPEAKER_07 9:01

Yes, I can second that. There's a lot of like sequences where I'm like, where was the epilepsy warning? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 9:08

Yeah. It's true. Let me tell you though, I was also surprised, even for as vague as the trailer was for this movie, I was surprised by the dynamic and who characters are in relation to each other, because this trailer really gave nothing away. I went into this expecting a very different dynamic between our two top build performers.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

Yes. I think that based on the trailer, they did a really good job of like dissuading you from what the plot actually is, truthfully. I didn't even r technically read the synopsis until like day of that we were gonna watch the movie. The trailer definitely gives you one thing, you're about to watch a whole other fucking movie, I'll tell you that much. That's yeah, putting it lightly. So I'd agree, I was also surprised by well, we talked perverse, so definitely surprised by some of that. There's some droplets, and I'll leave it at that.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

Fluid is a good way to describe this movie, literally and figuratively.

SPEAKER_05 10:03

The fluidity of that scene.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

Okay, yeah, we're really towing the line here. But I have to say, because of the shock factor and like the disgust, all this other stuff that I was feeling throughout the movie, I liked the plot, but I feel like what he was trying to do with this film and how cool the plot was, it just didn't match up. There was too much oddity, there was too much fluidity, there was too much grossness that it overshadows what could have been really, really fucking cool to me. And I think even down to the character arcs and who was casted in some of those roles, uh, I don't know, some of the believability was out. It was a mashup of really like, ugh, could have done better, much better, but not with the gross stuff.

SPEAKER_07 10:49

Binx, I can't wait to hear what you have to say about the believability and the casting. I'm very intrigued by that little morsel you've given us. But I definitely agree this movie has a lot going on. Like there is a very surprising story that I, like you said, Chris, did not expect at all from the trailer, which is, I think, a sign of a good trailer. It makes you want to see the movie without telling you a damn thing, really. And yeah, a lot of the dynamics were very surprising to me. As far as disappointments go, without giving away too much, I think I'm a little disappointed with the lack of growth or having learned anything from any of this. Because it's a lot. And to kind of feel like that amounted to nothing is a little disappointing for me.

SPEAKER_06 11:31

Interesting. Yeah, I don't know where you're going with that, but I am curious to see if we're aligned in the same way with what you just said. But I will say, and being because you said the plot, right? For me, I was surprised at how seemingly boring the dialogue in this movie was. And now that I think about it, maybe that is what was disappointing for me. It's so wild how much this film has going for it, right? The complexity and the depth this film has when you peel back the layers, but the choices it makes to either take advantage of that or just completely disregard it and squander its opportunities. So it's just interesting the choices that were made.

SPEAKER_03 12:08

Let me tell you something I do know. There ain't shit about this movie that's scary. Not even a little bit. Really? Yeah, I didn't find a single thing frightening about this movie. I find it gross. I think it poses some interesting moral dilemmas, but none of this felt scary like a horror movie scary. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_06 12:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 12:26

It was interesting. That's about it.

SPEAKER_06 12:28

No, that's fair.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

I feel like that's so interesting coming from you because I feel like you always are the first one to be like, it's not XYZ, but it's the people. Or like, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_07 12:38

Yeah, it's the human condition that's your that you're afraid of.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

The human condition. Yeah, thank you, Paris. Like, yes, literally that.

SPEAKER_03 12:46

Listen, yes, it's true. Existential fear is honestly my bread and butter. And yet, this didn't do that for me.

SPEAKER_06 12:55

It's not the fear aspect though. Like, I didn't really find this film to be super frightening or scary in any way either, but I think it does build on the tension and leaves you with that like unsettling sense of dread, like a lot of these types of horror movies do. But this style of horror movie just leaves you with that kind of feeling where you don't feel quite right after watching it. So I think it's effective in that way. There just isn't really anything scary here. It felt more sci-fi, but with some killing and some gore. That's very fair.

SPEAKER_07 13:26

And I think I kind of know what you're saying, Chris. Like, I don't necessarily feel like there's a threat in any real capacity during the film, but there is like a little bit of that tension of just like what's gonna happen next, or like what are my eyes gonna see next. I will say this film includes some of the things that are at the top of my list of things I never want to happen to me while I am alive in this world. So for me specifically, those parts were pretty scary. But I will say, as far as like the human condition of it all goes, this is the kind of thing where I'm like, I believe this happens. Like, not to whatever extent we see here, but I believe that this kind of person does this kind of thing somewhere on this planet, and it is so dark and it is so insidious, and it is so rotted to the core. So for me, I feel like this is very plausible and scary in that sense to me.

SPEAKER_02 14:13

Yeah, I feel like nepotism, the rich, all-inclusive resorts, adding things to my list here that are a little bit uneasy, a little bit scary. Also, Alexander Skarsgard acting the way that he does in this movie, top fear. Raise that to number one because I mean, I'm a true blood baddie, okay? And I love him to the end of time. But when we get into the spoiler zone, he does some things that I'm like, I can't erase that from my head now.

SPEAKER_07 14:42

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 14:43

And that's scary.

SPEAKER_07 14:44

I can't wait to hear.

SPEAKER_03 14:45

I understand that there are a lot of things in here that can create a sense of unease. It doesn't do that for me. I think there is a brief moment where maybe it kind of came close, and it was definitely a I know what you did last summer moment, and I thought it was gonna go a very different direction. However, I can at least say that this movie, while I have a lot to say about its originality in terms of its reflection of the world in the spoiler zone, from a cinema perspective, despite reminding me of Neon Demon, I haven't seen anything quite like this before.

SPEAKER_06 15:18

No, that's true. The film it feels fresh. I do think it has been influenced by a lot of different things, but it feels new and it feels different, right? I I don't know if you all are well versed in a clockwork orange, but there are a lot of parts in here that make me feel a clockwork orange. And I think that's partly for the story we get, but it's also a testament for the cinematography and the score and the acting for making this all work. So I do feel like it's very fresh. It definitely feels like something I have not watched before.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

I oh, I struggle. There was just so many references that I was thinking of as I was watching this that it made me question the originality. So I can't wait for us to like unpack a little bit more because maybe that's all I've got in my head. I'm thinking White Lotus, I'm thinking this is Black Mirror, I'm thinking this is actually another movie that if I say what the movie is, I'm going to spoil something. But it's a hot topic movie that we love to sprinkle in every now and then. It's the rich, that kind of resort setting. We've seen a little bit of it. The sci-fi part, I think, is cool, but I'm kind of undecided on where I really stand on originality because it's not fair to say that when a movie references so many other films that it's not original. We've talked about this so many times before, right? Like, I think you can have certain elements to it, but it was just a little too much that I think soured my opinion on originality. But I'll give it that. I recognize it. I'll back, I'll back away.

SPEAKER_06 16:45

Yeah, but that's the thing, right? Like everything has been influenced by something, right? Whether any type of art has been influenced by some previous type of art in some capacity. So it's really, did they copycat something or did they get inspired by something and what did they do with that?

SPEAKER_07 17:02

I will say, Binks, I did not pick up on a lot of the references that you did because I'm not nearly as cultured as almost anyone on earth. But I did find it interesting that this movie came out around like within a year or so of two other films that really tackle the same sort of subject matter thematically, and that is Triangle of Sadness and The Menu. I feel like these are like the holy trinity of like, hey, everybody, this is what's going to be trending in film. Let's start writing original stories about this thing. It didn't feel like necessarily cutting edge, but it felt like on trend, which isn't the worst thing you can be. But I did think like the core concept here is not something that I had ever seen before, and also not something I'd ever really thought of before. So I think like that little like morsel of like its core, I think that part gets the most originality points for me.

SPEAKER_03 17:53

I haven't seen either of those movies. I really wanted to see the menu. I do hope that the experience leaves a different taste in my mouth because I think what I'm left with this movie is an ending that's a choice, and it's a choice that I don't enjoy. And I know that, Paris, you alluded to some sensations and some feelings about some things in terms of the plot and the resolution of things. I'm gonna talk about that a little bit in my scoring section. I think the ending is probably one of the lower parts of the movie for me.

SPEAKER_06 18:22

Yeah, for sure. Did anyone feel like the ending was like maybe a little anticlimactic? I feel like I didn't get what I wanted or what I really needed out of the film with this ending. I just didn't feel satisfied. It left me wanting just a little bit more. It just didn't sit right with me. I feel that.

SPEAKER_07 18:39

It definitely gave fizzle. This film to me fizzled out. And it did a lot throughout the whole film to like really bring you up to a high high, but then to kind of just like drop you off where it drops you off. I was like, oh, I mean, okay. But at least the ending credits were very pretty to look at.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

And I think that the whole point of the movie, or at least what Brandon Cronenberg was trying to say, like, I got it. I just didn't really like how it was delivered. And again, it goes back to like all this fluff, all of this like shock factor. At that point, it's like, oh, okay, well, I honestly I was just glad that it ended, which is sad, but that's where I was at at point.

SPEAKER_07 19:18

Okay, wait, I'm realizing now that the end of this movie is the same ending as season one of White Lotus.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

I am telling you.

SPEAKER_07 19:23

And that that show had so many different endings in the finale, so you can't say this is a spoiler, but actually.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

Pretty spot on. Pretty spot on.

SPEAKER_03 19:32

Well, I've never seen White Lotus, so I'm not sure how to interpret that, but we'll see how this all shakes out in our ratings. Now, before we actually start scoring this movie, Sean, how would you describe the gore score?

SPEAKER_06 19:42

Well, while we do see some graphic scenes of violence and even murder, I don't think there was enough of it really to get past maybe the medium territory for me. You can maybe argue a medium, medium high, but if there was one more stabbing, I don't know. But it's getting a medium gore score for me.

SPEAKER_02 19:59

And what about the animal report? There was a sodomy comment in passing in this movie, and a figurative dog. But I like to believe we are safe in this film somehow.

SPEAKER_03 20:09

So there's that. Well, let's go ahead and get into our ratings then. Infinity pool from 2023. Was it a hack or a slash? And once again, I think I want to start us off and get this out of the way. This movie starts with an intriguing angle, and that angle it looks at tradition and culture commercialized as spectacle. And it hits a lot of notes that comment on wealth, on privilege, morality, and even mortality. And it appears to have a lot of potential, but for me that potential goes largely unfulfilled because it feels as though it works hard to say something, but it takes such big swings that it ends up doing so at the expense of saying nothing. And ultimately, there's a class of folk in society who can largely escape the consequences of their actions. You know it, I know it, the whole fucking world knows it. I don't personally need a movie to point out the horrors of it. There are parts of this movie that are technically good, but most of it really doesn't hit in terms of its vision. And as a complete finished product, it's just not for me. It's out of touch, and it's a hack.

SPEAKER_02 21:12

Alright, well, I guess I didn't hint enough as to where I stood throughout this spoiler-free zone, so I'm about to really just be very blunt. This movie was an incredible disappointment for me. I think the casting just was a little bit ridiculous and made zero sense, specifically, and Alexander Skarsgard and the character that he plays just didn't really fit for some reason. I feel like in general, the movie was just a snore, and I just like spent I don't even know how long just watching it and just very confused. And I got very lost in the artsy and the disgust and the shock factor and all of these things that Brandon Cronenberg was doing that seemed like he was just trying to be his dad. And it's unfortunate, but it's me being honest. Really, and I think what really really sucks is that I love what he was really trying to say, what the plot is, what it explores. I think it could have been really, really cool, but he wasted it, and all I'm gonna remember from this film is how ridiculous and like silly some of his decisions were, and that's unfortunate. So, as much as I wanted this movie to end, I'm sorry to baby Cronenberg, but this one is an immense hack for me.

SPEAKER_06 22:28

Wow, an immense hack. Yeah, that's heavy. Listen, hold on. Before we go down this path, let me just interject because I think I can see this one going in both directions, to be honest. Like I can see where people dislike it, I can see where people like it, and I feel like this is probably one that you're either gonna love or you're gonna hate. I think there was a lot of really good qualities about this film, but there are also some bad ones too. Like I feel like the dialogue is boring and the movie almost falls apart in the third act, but some of that cinematography we get are truly amazing to me, and you back that up with a score that really feels menacing in a way, and it all helps to build the atmosphere. It's that eerie and unsettling atmosphere that you have in this movie. Overall, this is one of those movies, like I said, you're either gonna love it, you're gonna hate it. And I don't think there is a lot of room for being in between with this film. I recognize it has its flaws, most films do, but the concept for this film is so interesting to me. It's a wild ride, it's slightly shocking, it's slightly deranged in some ways, and for that, I'm gonna give it a slash.

SPEAKER_07 23:38

All right, y'all. I'm going to be transparent here. I saw this film in theaters. I tripped balls off of my little gummy, and I left the theater gagged, bitch. I was like, what the fuck did I just watch? And anytime I feel that, it's always a good sign. So I remembered this film fondly. When I found out we were going to be reviewing this on the podcast, I messaged Chris. I said, Hey, Infinity Pool, could I make a guest cameo? Because I loved that movie. Now, I watched it again just to provide some clarity of mind. And I will say, it was not as good this time. This is definitely the type of film where if you are an enjoyer of any sort of substances, those are highly encouraged here. I think some of the visuals really lend themselves to that sort of an experience. I have friends that do shrooms and they watched this on shrooms, and I'm like, I don't know how you could do that, but you know, everyone has their thing. I think ultimately, a quote that I remember most from this film before my second watch was in regards to a book that was described as having nothing to say and lacking the words to say it. And I thought that was such a hilarious and nasty thing to say about anyone. Thinking about it now, I'm like, this movie kind of is that. It has nothing to say and it kind of lacks the words to say it. But for me, that's fine because the visuals were great. The gore, I feel like it's a high gore score in the Book of Paris. And I've seen some of the most disturbing things I've ever seen in my life captured on film in this movie. And then, of course, the Mia Goth of it all. This might be a bias, but I'm such a slut for Mia Goth that her performance alone, this movie could have been garbage outside of her performance, and I still probably would have slashed it because of how good she is in this movie. I have yet to see her flop. She gives comedy in this in ways that we never expected. I did not expect to laugh in this movie, but I sure did both times. And I just think like ultimately, if that's something you're into, you're gonna have a good time, so it's a slash.

SPEAKER_03 25:38

Well, there you have it, folks. Infinity Pool from 2023 is split down the middle with two hacks and two slashes. Now you can find this movie streaming online, so you can check the link in our show notes to find where you can find it right now. Go check it out, then join us in the second half so we can finally unpack these boilers together. See you in a bit.

SPEAKER_07 26:06

Are you tired of attempting the impossible? Of course you are, and cutting bread with a knife is as futile as outrunning a vengeful ghost in a dimly lit corner. But fear no more, dear listeners, we found a solution straight from the cutting edge of culinary horror. Introducing the bun chop, the device that cuts bread without a knife. Because using a knife for bread is like trying to swim without water. It simply doesn't work. Trust us, we've had Gabby try it, and you don't want to see the aftermath. With its patented bread teeth technology, the bun chop slices through your loaves like a crazed villain through a cabin full of slutty teenagers. Whether you're crafting a sandwich to enjoy during a bone-chilling thriller or serving toast with a side of terror, the bun chop has got you covered. Order now and we'll throw in a complimentary fear of knives. Who needs them anyway when you have the bun chop? Join the bread cutting revolution. Call 1-800 Bun Chop or visit bunchopslices.com. And remember, dear hackerslash listeners, some horrors should be faced head on. But the horror of slicing bread with a knife, leave that to the movies.

SPEAKER_06 27:27

Well, we actually have a total of 14 kills in this movie, believe it or not. And only two of these are off-screen and only mentioned, so that's pretty good, I think, right? 14 is a good 12 if you want to be like official on what you see. I think this one is an interesting kill count because of the concept of this film, along with the fact that three of the kills in this film are the same character, only cloned. But let's get into it. What were your favorite kills?

SPEAKER_03 27:56

I'm gonna go first clone because I still think it's actually James.

SPEAKER_06 28:01

Okay. Great. Let's talk about it. This was something that went through my mind too. Yes. The concept or the idea that they're cloning people, but like actually just killing off the real person and the clone lives, right? Like that was something that had to have gone through your mind.

SPEAKER_03 28:16

Here's how I think this actually went down. I think they come up with this arrangement for tourism, and I think the locals really start out with this earnest desire to offer up the cloning solution and the real person can escape unscathed. However, I think after a while and the continued disrespect, they're just like, well, they'll never fucking know if we swap them. And I think they just start fucking swapping them because it's like they're still paying the price.

SPEAKER_02 28:43

But ultimately, they still end up doing the same thing, anyways, because even if it's swapped, the clone still has the memories of the original.

SPEAKER_03 28:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:51

And thus you just never really know. Like it's not really resolving any issue.

SPEAKER_03 28:54

It's not, it's a sense of satisfaction and revenge. Because revenge doesn't actually do anything except make you feel a little better.

SPEAKER_07 29:00

True. True. Are we saying that like possibly the difference is negligible?

SPEAKER_03 29:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 29:04

If they swap or not.

SPEAKER_03 29:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 29:05

That's fair. And I do feel like I don't know if this is getting ahead of ourselves, but I feel like we kind of watched him die so many times that if it's clone on clone on clone on clone, it kind of explains his deteriorating state.

SPEAKER_03 29:19

Yeah. My thing is that you can only Xerox copy something so many times before it starts looking like shit.

SPEAKER_06 29:24

Yeah. Well, I mean, to an extent, this whole group of people just start acting wild, right? And maybe that's the testament to like them being cloned so many times. You can see how comfortable they are. Like, ah, no big deal. They're laughing about the whole situation. You know what I mean? So yeah, I mean, it's a it's definitely an interesting take on the film for sure.

SPEAKER_02 29:47

Instead of it being like the deterioration of them going through the cloning process as the original, it's just the fact that they are clones being cloned, being cloned, being cloned. That tracks. I will say that for me, I guess my favorite kills were when the whole clan got their throats slit. Because at that point, I was like, wait a second, did they finally get it? And then when it goes to them all sitting in the bleachers again, I was like, oh shit, this is like literally a cycle again and again and again.

SPEAKER_06 30:16

So they played with you, they really did. I I mean it had me going for sure. Like, I was like, oh shit, they're like going down this time for sure. Like, joke's on them, and then it pans out, and you see them all spectating and laughing about it. And I was like, Oh, joke's on me, I guess.

SPEAKER_07 30:32

That's the gag. I will say, I think my favorite kill was also the first death of James, specifically because like I never want to be stabbed, let alone so many times, let alone by a small teen boy. Couldn't possibly be a worse death for me because it's just so slow and painful, and like you feel every stab. And the film does not shy away. We get to see every juicy gush that happens, and he's stabbed like a dozen times. But I think honorable mention will go to when sort of the reverse happens and James is in the farmhouse and that boy's there again, and we don't really know exactly what happens there because it's kind of a trippier sequence. But at some point, like a face gets split in half, and I feel like that was a very stunning visual because I was like, Jesus Christ, it reminded me of like an old 80s type of kill, but I feel like we don't really see those kinds of like face splitters anymore.

SPEAKER_06 31:25

Oh, yeah, that's true. We're talking about some really good ones, and I think the farmer dude, like the random dude that just decides to play Frogger in the road, right, in the middle of the night. It's not really the actual getting hit by a car part, but it's really the visual of the aftermath and the way they show you, they don't really linger on it for that long, but it they show you his face and it's like caved in, yeah, and it's brutal and it's intense. And now that I think about all these scenes, I mean maybe it should have been a high gore score, to be honest with you. It just went so quick in some of these scenes that like it didn't stick with me long enough for me to be like, Oh yeah, this was pretty wild, but that visual was intense. Just he's oh, I don't know. Just looking at the face just made me cringe, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_07 32:09

Or what about the kill where he punches his own face to a bloody pulp? That was another crushed face that we got to see.

SPEAKER_06 32:16

It is. You saw the skin break apart in an instant. Like, yeah, that was intense. That was really intense. Yeah, a lot of cringy moments for sure. Not fun. Not not fun. Not a little fun. It was a little fun.

SPEAKER_02 32:29

I do feel though, like, I can't believe this is coming from me, but like I almost wish that maybe there were some more kills, though. Like, maybe a s if it would have been a sequence of them just like being killed a few more times, or just like other victims of their psychoticness, like those kinds of things would have been really nice. I feel like a bulk of the kills are really them, their clones dying, not so much others. Which I mean, I'm not here for their travesty, but like it would have been, I don't know. It would have been kind of nice to continue to really hone in on the fact that they just continuously do this, especially the group, well, the rest of the group that goes every single year.

SPEAKER_07 33:10

Yeah, I feel like there was a point where once we had the setup kind of established, we really could have used like a montage. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 33:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 33:18

That's what I was gonna say. Would you want it to be a montage of just kills happening or something?

SPEAKER_02 33:23

Not I can't I or just like some I don't know. I feel like there's just three moments where they do some ridiculous stuff to others, and maybe I'm very wrong. Like off the top of my head, right? And yeah, they're pretty heinous. But the first one, like the farmer, right? Like that could have been any accident.

SPEAKER_07 33:42

That's jaywalking.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

I just feel like I would have wanted more crime for it to really have driven the point home that they are like doing this for fun constantly every year. It just felt like one crazy night out or like a couple crazy nights out, not necessarily like a whole like dedication, this is why we go to La Tolca or whatever.

SPEAKER_07 34:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:02

I can agree with that. I feel like I was missing a level of whimsy, like you would get from the whimsy that we see from many people on the annual Purge Night in the Purge franchise. Like there are some motherfuckers in there who are just giddy and literally frolicking in the street. I didn't quite feel that joy here. I felt like an obnoxious group at a brunch table who's super drunk. That's the energy that I got.

SPEAKER_06 34:27

Okay. Well, see, here's the thing. I think this is where the Manson vibe comes into play is you've got this group of people that all share this strange thing, this strange phenomenon that's happening, right? And it almost feels culty because no one else is a part of this, right? They've all been cloned, whatever, they're vibing, they're getting fucked up, they're getting all high on the on whatever the fuck they're doing, like in life, and they decide that they're gonna go take revenge or rob this rich person's house, and they go in there as a group and they break in and they terrorize this little group of people within the house. And in essence, I mean it's kind of like what the Manson family did. Like they just got all fucked up and in their minds and whatever, brainwashed by Charles Manson or whatever, and went to this actor's house, broke in, and terrorized and killed them. Like it just that's where the Manson vibes, I think the cultiness comes into play. Happens every day. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:22

Well, in terms of cult, I will say there are some moments that I can appreciate visually in this film for sure. The masks off of this clan were insane. Like so weird, uncomfortable, but I think in a good way. Like that's how you do uncomfortable and like squirminess and just like makes you feel icky, like you were saying, Ferris. Like that in in costuming, I thought that was really, really great, and I appreciated the masks. Some of them were just like, How the fuck did you even make that shit?

SPEAKER_00 35:54

Right?

SPEAKER_03 35:55

The masks are pretty cool, they're for sure cursed. I think they're disturbing, and it's one of the only disturbing elements about this movie. I do say beyond that, it feels like a little bit of a stretch. There are two things that I can really highlight visually that worked for me, and that was one movies can just keep showing me cars with red interiors, and I think it's gorgeous, it's a vibe. And I know that's like a throwaway. But in the beginning, we have James and M walking through this resort, and this is where I thought I started off very, very promising. It's almost like a beating drum as the camera is tilting and it's disorienting, and I'm like, okay, cool, we know we're in for a ride now because the camera's telling us, so I wish I had gotten I wouldn't say more of that, but the suspense and the little bit of tension I felt in that moment, I wish I had felt more of that throughout the movie.

SPEAKER_07 36:50

I did note those visuals because I immediately got dizzy and I was like, how did I watch this high in a theater and not remember almost falling out of my seat? But yeah, visually, I think this movie, one of its strongest suits was its visuals to me. I think a lot of the trippy sequences we get, like with the ayahuasca orgy, the cloning sequence, those are all very like memorable. But for me, my favorite is their use of like macro lenses, specifically when we learn like the reason they call it infinity pool. And Miyagoth is telling the story about how her architect husband was like making an infinity pool, and then like a panel of glass crushed two people. You get these like gorgeous, like like almost like microscopic close, but it's just a macro lens of like Miyagoth's like lips, and then you get one of her eye. And like both of those, I'm just like, ugh, put it on a wall, frame it, stunning. You also get them of Alexander Skarsgard, like they kind of go back and forth, but he wasn't really giving as much as Mia gave to me. But I was like, that's just like such a beautiful way to use that lens in such like a small moment that kind of was amplified because of that choice.

SPEAKER_06 37:57

That's so true. I think we're aligned a lot on this movie. I think the cinematography is definitely the best visual element in this film. I think it's super captivating. Obviously, I know we just mentioned it outside of the camera flips, R.I.P. Mac, if he ever watches this, but I do think, yes, the close-ups, those were so good. The close-up shots of Mia Goth's face and Skarsgard face, and I think even when you get some of those shots, even going back to like when the dude gets hit by a car and they back up and show you like the visuals of like the street, and it's just hitting like the pool of blood, and the headlights are hitting it just a certain way. The shots of like the atmosphere, the scenery around the resort, with the well like just the really like unsettling score behind it. Like, there were just so many good things about the cinematography that outside of the camera flips for me, I thought were super, super stunning.

SPEAKER_03 38:52

For as much as we think about how stunning moments in this movie can be, one of the moments that stands out the most to me, and we talked about it a bit in the kills. I love the oh shit moments when we get this rich gang arrested, they're in prison, they think that there's a a number that they can pay to get these clones again. Perhaps they feel like they're gonna get away with it, they're not taking it seriously. But then as they march closer to their death, and if honestly, if we had gotten more of that, if we had stayed in that direction, this movie would have hit differently for me. I needed them to get what they deserved. And that was a moment where we started moving in that direction, and it felt like it was gonna be so great. And honestly, even if Mia Goth had escaped in that moment to give us the rest of the movie, I'm not sure, but I wanted that satisfaction. And yet we don't get that at all the rest of the movie. So that scene was a high point for me, and I almost felt like everything that happened after was when it just got a little bit worse and worse and worse and worse and worse.

SPEAKER_07 39:55

Really, Chris? Because after that was my favorite scene.

SPEAKER_03 39:59

Oh no.

SPEAKER_07 39:59

We've spiraled so far, but when we finally arrived to Mia Goth, relaxing on the hood of that car with a bucket of fried chicken, drinking wine from the bottle, wildly flailing a gun at James, and then just proceeding to unleash a dragging, the likes of which has not been seen in some time. She eviscerates this man with her words for a solid five minutes. She reads reviews of his book, that's terrible. She drags him for even thinking that they would have actually read his bad book. And all of it to me was the highlight of the film because you get Mia Goth at her most Mia Goth, where she's just so unhinged, so volatile, and so venomous that I was just like, I was dripping. I was gushing from the gash. I my favorite scene.

SPEAKER_03 40:46

I wish I could have understood most of what she said. I found her voice to be so grating. What? I could not. Because she's a psychopath. She's shrill. I know. It doesn't mean I have to like it. You know what I mean? Like you can be shrill, and that's a decision. You if you're gonna make the decision, you can stand by the consequence. And I'm glad that it hits for you. I think this is back to a classic Paris and Chris dynamic where we both talk about the same thing, but we're on two opposite sides of it.

SPEAKER_07 41:13

So us.

SPEAKER_03 41:14

It really is. Look at us. Wow, it's been so long. But that's what this moment is for me. I love the dialogue. I love having nothing to say and lacking the words to say it. I love the action of it. But then in that moment, I can't even say was a favorite standout moment for me because then it's just the experience of it was giving the kid from Baba Duck. Oh, that's pretty harsh.

SPEAKER_01 41:38

Wow. Wow, that's even that's coming from me because that kid was annoying as fuck. Here we are. Wow. Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 41:47

Listen, I already have difficulty perceiving and deciphering tones. It honestly sounds like a shrill from Charlie Brown. Like that's what that experience is like for me. If I didn't have subtitles on, I wouldn't have been able to understand a single fucking thing she was saying.

SPEAKER_07 42:04

Damn.

SPEAKER_02 42:05

Well, well, look, I'm a little torn between some favorite scenes because there's really not many, but Mia Goth dragging that man 100%. I'm with you, Paris. That was a moment that I was like, fuck yes. Send him to filth and his little bitch ass book, truthfully. It was great. The I was torn between two quotes. I was torn, and the other one was, You're a real sucky baby. Like I just I love it. I just love it so much. So I'll give it that. And Mia Goth's voice, in and of itself, is already something that you kind of have to get used to, I get because it is so high pitched and whatnot. So I understand. But my other favorite moment going all the way to the beginning, though, is again the first clone being stabbed, and then you see James's smirk, and that's when you know that you're like, oh, this bitch likes it. Oh, he's not going anywhere. And it's crazy because anybody else, I mean, uh well, you see it in his wife, right? That it's like traumatized. This is insane, this is crazy, we gotta go, and he's enjoying it, he's all about it. So I thought that was like very sinister, very like, oh, now I kind of see where this movie might be going. I can't believe I didn't bring it up, and I don't know who will, but I I have to. Another favorite moment will be Alexander Skarsgard as a dog with a leash on. I was taken aback. And I'm currently re-watching True Blood, and I just feel like this is well-timed considering that the show, I don't know, it was a moment.

SPEAKER_07 43:38

It was a visual element, to be sure.

SPEAKER_02 43:41

It was a visual, visual element. A favorite, maybe? I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 43:45

Yeah, listen, I think we've talked about a lot of really great visuals, a lot of really great scenes. It's hard to really find some more in here. I do think that as wild as it was, and as potential seizure inducing as it was, the The whole strange, like acid trip of James being cloned is definitely wild to watch and an experience in and of itself. So I think that was pretty cool to watch, I think. But I also liked a lot of just smaller shots, some little clips throughout the film. One particular, I loved that shot where we see James in that in his pig mask that he had, smoking the cigar, watching the sunset on the beach. I thought that was such a great shot, even if it was just short or whatever. But and then even that little snippet of Mia Goth like firing the gun with that insane laughing face. I mean, there was just some really good choices to focus on, as far as like even if we only saw it for like a second or two. I loved those little shots. It really made parts of the film for me.

SPEAKER_03 44:47

I think what made parts of the film for me was the complete twist on the characters that I expected going into this. I really fucking thought, based on the promotion of the film, that Mia Goth and Alex Scar and Alexander Skarsgard were going to be the couple. I really thought that was gonna be the moment. So to not have that, to have them meeting and running into each other as strangers, but really even more impactful for me, the strained, dying relationship on its last legs between M and James. It was the moment where she says, I'm in danger of being a charitable organization at this point. Yeah. Where I was like, This man can't contribute shit to this fucking household, leave him.

SPEAKER_07 45:33

She said so much.

SPEAKER_02 45:36

My God. Well, good for her. But I will say, I didn't think that they were a couple, but I thought that the whole point was that they were going to like be in a relationship. I didn't even realize that he would have a wife going to this resort or something. Again, the trailer gives you nothing. I mean, I guess they kind of do do things together, that's for sure. Whatever. That ends the way that it does. But James, I think, is so interesting because I feel like what's happened here is basically Brandon Cronenberg made a movie about the effects of nepotism as a Nepo baby to some extent. Ooh. Like, not that James is a Nepo baby, but he is adjacent enough, right? His wife is a Nepo baby. So it's like, tell me about how this man will do anything that he can to fit in with the rich folk because he himself is not actually rich and is just using his wife's money to be able to fit in. And then that's why I loved Gabby's dragging so much because she's like, let me put you back in your place. You thought, but you're really just not.

SPEAKER_03 46:42

Did he really need more of a reminder than the moment when he attempted to extend the stay at the hotel and was all under his wife's name?

SPEAKER_07 46:50

Yeah, like, right? I really appreciated having M as a character because you're thrown into a world of absolute lunatics, and it's always important to have that one like stable person who behaves and reacts to things in a way that you can relate to. And her getting the fuck out of there, brilliant move. You did everything correctly, because if you didn't, I fear you would have died. But I think obviously Mia Goth is my favorite character in this film. I think James, we get through the whole thing and he learns almost nothing about himself except that he's a sick fuck, which like is that growth? Because I feel like you probably already knew that. But Mia Goth shows so much range. She like basically is a black widow spider. She's luring this man into a false sense of security. She's like, Oh, I love your book. I'm a fan. And then seduces him into this crazy wild world. And then at the end, immediately flips back and she's like, All right, see you next year. Bye. And to me, like that kind of a character is so fascinating because it could literally be like somebody you work with. Like the people that like we work with sometimes go on like an annual Disney trip. And it's like, are they going to Disney or are they going to some other country to do some crazy spooky shit? And they do it every year and then come back to their normal lives and walk among us.

SPEAKER_06 48:07

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 48:09

I also think she had like the best writing for her character. I want to believe some of it was improvised. One of my favorite lines was, You're so vain, James, to actually believe that we'd read it. It's sort of funny, but more than anything, it's depressing. And then earlier she's like, when she's trying to get them to come out of the bathroom, she's like, Don't be pathetic tonight, James. It's so unattractive.

SPEAKER_00 48:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:30

I wish I had the gall to say that to a man.

SPEAKER_07 48:36

You can say it, Binks. You can say it. As long as you have the gun.

SPEAKER_02 48:40

Yeah. And the bottle of wine as well.

SPEAKER_06 48:43

But listen, that's just it, right? Like Alexander Skarsgard is James, Mia Goth, right, is Gabby or whatever. Like they those two carried the film. It was their show, to be honest. Like, I think they both did a phenomenal job. I think they did a great job expressing, like, especially James, I think expressing the emotions that he was going through throughout the film. I think Mia Goth probably overshadowed him a little bit in the performance field, but like I feel like most of the other characters are kind of just there. Like they don't take away from the film, but they also don't add, they don't do like a whole lot to really add to it either, right? They're just kind of complacent in a way. Like they just didn't do much for the film as a whole. Kudos to Skarsgard and Goth, right? Like they really did work with what they had and made it enjoyable. I don't know, you two people hacked it, but they really did make the film. So there you have it.

SPEAKER_02 49:39

No, no, no. I'm not look, I loved Mia Goth's performance. It's just for me, when I was talking about casting, you you bring up such a good point. So I'm gonna explain a little bit now. It's just that I feel like the rest of the cast, it's odd. I don't know what he was trying to do because they how do I say this nicely? It's like they look average. And then it to me, it's like if the story is about how James is supposed to want to fit in with these rich people and like this lifestyle, then why do they look average? And then we but then we can argue that by saying, like, oh, it's because like you were saying, Paris, they could be any family or couple that's in the airport and they're off to do some heinous things. Okay, fine. But then we go to James specifically and the casting of Alexander Skarsgard. I know that I have immense bias here, but you're gonna tell me that you look at Alexander Skarsgard and he can't take like Mia Goth down or something like that, that he can't fight his way out of some of these circumstances, A. And then B, that with just the way that he like carries himself and his demeanor, I mean this man is tall, he's a Nordic god, basically. And you want me to believe that he's like just hard on himself and his self-esteem's low, and he can't like he's just trying to fit in so bad and be like, I don't know, it's just odd. I don't know. It was so it was like switched.

SPEAKER_07 50:59

That's true, Banks. He gives very like submissive, demure little baby, which is actually, yeah, that is kind of against type for him. I didn't think about that.

SPEAKER_02 51:09

And I think it is uh great for Alexander to now be in a role that is very different than what he usually plays, because yes, he is always typecasted as like this like head honcho, like badass, that kind of demeanor.

SPEAKER_07 51:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:23

But I don't know, it it still seemed odd for what the story was supposed to be about in terms of James.

SPEAKER_07 51:28

Yeah, he also kind of seemed the richest. He looked polished, cleaned up, whereas the other like rich people did look kind of basic.

SPEAKER_02 51:34

Or even in the scene where he's in the bus and like supposedly scared, and it's like Well, they did shoot him.

SPEAKER_07 51:41

Alexander, please. They shot the bus.

SPEAKER_02 51:44

Sure, but I still feel like he could have towered over like several of them. One of the people one of those people in those in that group had to have been pushing like 70. Sorry. Maybe I'm very wrong.

SPEAKER_07 51:54

He could have towered, but he cowered.

SPEAKER_03 51:57

You're right.

SPEAKER_07 51:58

He was like a whimpering little dog.

SPEAKER_03 52:00

You know what else he was whimpering, though? He was also whimpering, not unlike a baby, with the barbarian breastfeeding scene.

SPEAKER_06 52:07

Oh my god. I loved it.

SPEAKER_02 52:11

That was the movie that I didn't want to say because it would spoil it. Barbarian. I know it's a hot take on this podcast, but it was giving barbarian and anything.

SPEAKER_04 52:21

This was way better than Barbarian.

SPEAKER_02 52:23

Don't let's not do that here.

SPEAKER_03 52:25

It wasn't a hairy nipple, so it was okay there.

SPEAKER_02 52:27

I don't want to say that every time that there is secretion coming out of a nipple, I will think about barbarian, but what's done is done. And that is the worst part of this movie that I will say that I have no right to say to, but like that was a that was traumatizing. That was a lot.

SPEAKER_07 52:44

It was the breastfeed.

SPEAKER_02 52:45

It was the breastfeed. It was the blood of the clone dog around the areola, and then the breastfeeding.

SPEAKER_06 52:53

And then, yeah. I mean, so your worst part is basically the better version of Barbarian.

SPEAKER_03 52:59

Yeah, it's just Bing said it so well. There's too much secretion in this movie.

SPEAKER_07 53:05

For me, I actually loved when Mia Goth had him murder his dog self and then fed him her tit. Like that to me, it gave Very the Witch. It was like, oh, yes, so wrong and so dark sided. But there is a different breastfeeding moment that happens in the psychedelic orgy sequence, where we see what can only be described as poop coming out of a boob and fed into the mouth of that old dusty pervert man. It was so weird. That is the most disgusting thing I have seen in my life. It's in the top five. Poop coming out of a boob never, never should be even thought of, written down, spoken, or brought to life on film. That, and there were like two instances of like casual racism that I don't know if were intentional or not.

SPEAKER_03 53:52

Of course it was.

SPEAKER_07 53:53

Yeah. I it maybe they were like making a point about like how culturally insensitive tourism is.

SPEAKER_03 53:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 53:58

But there was also like a random part where they had like these really anti-Semitic costumes. Yeah. For some reason. Like in the background. I was like, Why? Yeah, why? What was that? What was the purpose? And then like the gag of them revealing that the person in the like the waiter in like the traditional Chinese garb was just the regular dude from the resort. I was like, a little tasteless. Don't love it. But nothing beats poop out of a boo.

SPEAKER_01 54:23

Warranted.

SPEAKER_03 54:24

Listen, I had a lot of bad things to say. I will say that I think M is the best part of this movie. I don't know how she found herself married to this man. I mean, she does explain it pretty well, but I do appreciate that she's at the point in her life where she's going to do what she wants, say what she wants, and then also draw boundaries against this man when she wants. Good for her. I hope that on her voyage back home, she's initiating their divorce.

SPEAKER_07 54:53

Oh, certainly.

SPEAKER_03 54:54

I would hope so.

SPEAKER_07 54:55

She has to be. She looks like the most beautiful woman on earth, and she has so much agency. She couldn't possibly bear to be with this man a moment longer.

SPEAKER_02 55:04

And continue to be the organization or the charitable organization at the very least. Yeah, no, absolutely. Yeah. I would say the best part, I'm not gonna say Mia Goth, because it's gonna be obvious. I'm gonna give it to the kids like the son. I'm gonna give it to him, and I'm gonna say the smile that he had on his face when he was choking James. I think we brought that up earlier. I feel like that was fantastic. That was actually another like scary moment or like a little tense, very creepy as fuck moment for sure. So I'm gonna give it to the kid. Shout out to you.

SPEAKER_06 55:39

Shout out to the kid. Nice. I I think for me, I I've said it throughout this episode, but the worst part is really just the way they wrapped it all up. I feel like they did a lot throughout the movie that built up all of this tension and all of this like wondering of like, how is this gonna end? And then it just to your exactly what you said, Paris, it just fizzled out, and it just was a little bit lackluster, and it left me wanting more, and it was just kind of flat and boring, and I just don't know. Like I feel like they could have done so much, like it had so much potential to end on such a high note, and in instead, it was just flat. And unfortunately, that is the worst part for me.

SPEAKER_07 56:19

It was just missing the wah wah wah wah.

SPEAKER_06 56:23

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 56:24

Which honestly, a lot of that is why I can't stand to watch this movie again. Even going back, this movie at the even at the breastfeeding scene, I get it. He's reborn. They talk about doing transformation, and he beat his own clone, thus his transformation is complete. But then he doesn't still do anything with that kind of energy except for wallow in it. I think one of the better moments towards the ending is the moment when they're all on the bus and they're all talking about just their daily lives and they're all going about it, and he's sitting like a little sad boy in the back. I think if we had maybe done more with that, it could have had like the slightest note of redemption. But for him to just turn it around, go back and just stand there in the rain, fuck that. No, this movie has no redemptive qualities for me, and I won't be watching it again.

SPEAKER_06 57:19

Oh man. But here's the thing, right? I do I feel like there is re-watch value in this movie because I think that there is more that you can get out of the film with a second, third, or I don't know, even fourth watch, dare I say. But the problem is, do you want to watch it again? Because it's it is kind of a slow burn in some ways, and it feels long when watching it. It has kind of a long runtime, right? And it's not like it's paced super well. So while I do think there is value in watching the film again, you'll get some little pieces that you didn't get the first time. I would only imagine. I've only seen it once, but I don't think I'll be re-watching this one again anytime soon.

SPEAKER_02 58:00

Yeah, no, I definitely will go about the rest of my life never seeing this movie again. I just, it's just not my thing. And I hate to do this to Brandon Cronenberg because it's like I don't want it to be a thing where I just prefer his father's work over him because I've only seen this, right? But I just think that I rather explore maybe possessor have heard that it's really good, like his other work, and keep it at that and just never revit this. I'm gonna give it a fresh slate for Brandon, and I'm just gonna say, hey, let's try one more time. It's best for him. This is a better, a better thing for him, both him and I.

SPEAKER_07 58:37

That's generous, Banks.

SPEAKER_02 58:39

Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_07 58:41

I have already watched this movie twice. I will probably watch it a third time before I die. Sober again? No, probably not. This is definitely like a fun little treat night kind of movie. But yeah, I had a good time watching it. I can always watch a Miyagoth performance. And like I saw Pearl three times in theaters. Like, I have a problem here. Even if it's like a terrible movie that builds up to a big Miagoth scene, I'll probably sit through the terrible movie. I don't know. She just has something that no one else is doing right now. And for that, I'll happily watch. I will be seated and enjoying.

SPEAKER_03 59:17

Well, I'm glad you're going to enjoy it, but I think that closes the book on this one. Because there you have it, folks. Infinity pool has earned two hacks and two slashes. Now we've certainly had a robust discussion here, but it doesn't end here by any means. We want to know what you think.

SPEAKER_02 59:34

Would you constantly commit crimes if your clone took the hit? Let us know. You can join in on the conversation by hanging out with us for free in our Discord. Click the link in our show notes to sign up.

SPEAKER_06 59:43

And if you've enjoyed listening to the long, strange trip that is this film, consider joining our new Blood Drive and becoming a member of the family. Check the link in our show notes or visit hackerslash.

SPEAKER_03 59:59

We'll see you next time, folks, and remember, it's for your own good.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:03

This was your idea, remember?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:14

Okay, so let's say you find yourself in such a situation where you've arrived at this place and you are presented with the opportunity to do anything you want, you can get away with it and suffer no consequences, but you have to do the fucking clone thing. Would you take that deal?

SPEAKER_07 1:00:31

Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:32

Really?

SPEAKER_07 1:00:32

Yeah. How am I being presented with this option? Is what I need to know. Did I accidentally commit a crime and then find out about it? Or is this pre-crime? That's a fair point.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:43

This is pre-crime. Let's say you haven't committed a crime, because I feel like to save yourself or get murdered, I would probably take the fucking clone thing, right? But if you had the power of choice, your second visit to this place, would you commit a crime knowing that this would happen? Those are two different questions.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:57

You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_07 1:00:58

They are. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:00

Would I take the deal to avoid someone stabbing me to death or whatever, like because of an accident? Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:08

Obviously.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:08

Of course, we all would.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:10

Yeah, but would I purposely go to this place to fuck around?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:13

No.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:14

Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:15

I do feel like that's a more obvious answer for a room full of two Capricorns and two Virgos. But I feel like some people would take this as an opportunity to do their purge shit.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:25

Okay, but can we do the clone thing and not have to do the crime?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:29

What the fuck do you want the clone for?

SPEAKER_07 1:01:31

I mean, I don't see how that's anyone's business but mine. But you could do so much fun clone stuff. Like, one, I would obviously have sex with my clone. Like, let's say that right now. Oh no. No shame in that. Who wouldn't have sex with their clone? Raise your hand if you would not have sex with your clone. I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:46

Maybe that's self-predeprecating, but I would not.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:49

I just want to say I watched, was it the time traveler's wife? It was a show on HBO, and he went back in time and fucked himself, just saying.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:58

Really?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:00

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:00

That's a whole thing.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:01

Time traveling is a little different from clone, but I'm still intrigued. True.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:05

Well, because technically, in this case, the clone is gonna have your memory. So, I mean, it really is almost the same as like the whole time traveling, but not the point. The point is, is that people would fuck themselves. So, you know?

SPEAKER_07 1:02:18

No, for sure. And I think it's also if the clone has the same memories as me, then the clone is down too. So it's consensual.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:25

Oh, that's a good point.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:25

You would think. But like you don't know. You don't know what kind of like off thing is happening with these clones. We get this kind of like, oh yeah, they tell you this stuff, but then they're getting killed off right away. So you don't really get to see like the you know, what could be if they all lived in one like we've seen multiplicity, right? That just doesn't go well. They all just get these different personalities eventually. And I guess that's true. Who knows what they're doing? I don't want another me running around. There's only room in this world for one me, and that's me. So I love that, Sean.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:56

But also, wouldn't it be nice to have like the other Sean? Kind of like Severance, where you have like another version that does all the stuff you don't want to do.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:04

It does sound nice, but will it actually work out? I don't know. And that's me like overanalyzing and like thinking about the risks. But then you always kill off the clone if you have to.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:15

That's true. That's true. But then what if the clone kills you and takes over your life?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:18

Yeah, the clone's probably gonna try to kill you off.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:21

If I had the idea, then the clone did too. You're right. Like at the same time. Can I outmanipulate myself? Ooh, what a game now. What a game this would be. Yeah, this does sound fun.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:31

Aren't you a Gemini moon? Doesn't that really put this whole thing into perspective?

SPEAKER_07 1:03:35

It really does. It gamifies everything for me.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:39

I just don't see a situation in which I would be compelled to do it because I think my guilt would still eat me alive. Like that just seems like a bizarre thing to do.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:49

Yeah, I feel like what crime are you so like wet to do that you would go through all of this? I can't think of anything that's not like robbing billionaires. Oh, could we rob a billionaire?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:59

Yeah, I was gonna say, can I do what is it, bling ring moment? That's a little fucked up, but also I guess that's kind of what they did though.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:06

Yeah, no, they literally were the bling ring of South America or wherever this allegedly was.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:11

Yeah, wherever, a fictional island of sorts. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know. It's an interesting scenario, I feel like.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:20

I'm not about the like watching myself die part though. That will fuck me up.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:25

No, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:26

Because that's that's the caveat is like, you know.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:29

You have to watch.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:30

Which is sick and twisted, and that's why this is a horror movie. But I'm also like, I don't know. Would that make you fear death less, or would it make you fear death more?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:41

So I think the fucked up part of it is that I don't know that watching myself die would be that big of a thing for me.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:49

I think because I just know it's not me.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:51

But you're watching anyone die.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:53

Yeah, but that's I mean, like, not to get too dark, but I've already done that.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:56

Oh, yeah, true.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:57

Yeah. I feel like once you've been exposed to that, it's the damage that's done to you is there. And then it's like, how much more could it be?

SPEAKER_07 1:05:06

Yeah, that's fair.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:06

If now I know it's like, okay, this manufactured version of me, I feel like it wouldn't be that big of a hit.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:12

That makes sense. Okay, but now what crime would y'all commit if you got to commit any crime? Raw billionaires. Is it raw billionaires? Is that the universal answer?

SPEAKER_08 1:05:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:21

How do you actually feel after this, right? Like, what do you feel like after you've been cloned? How does that feel? Yeah, you probably feel woozy. I feel like woozy for sure. Do you have to regain like any kind of like, I don't know, strength or some kind of like molecular cells of some kind? Yeah, is there like a physical therapy? Yeah. What is this process?

SPEAKER_03 1:05:43

I would have been out on the cloning process because you see that contraption they had to put in his mouth to get all the dental stuff.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:49

Oh no. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:50

I would have gagged. It would have been throwing up. They wouldn't have been able to get it in my mouth.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:53

Oh, really? That would make you gag?

SPEAKER_03 1:05:55

Oh, yeah. Literally anything makes me gag, Paris. That little device?

SPEAKER_07 1:05:58

It's just the cheeks though.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:59

Yeah. Yeah, you'd be surprised.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:01

It's pretty pitiful.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:02

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:03

Isn't there a game like a board game that's like that too?

SPEAKER_07 1:06:07

Yeah, there is. There definitely is games. Yeah, you like put something like that in your mouth and you have to like say a phrase and the other people have to guess the phrase you're saying.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:14

Chell's in the chat says Grand Theft Auto hitting all the luxury car dealerships.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:18

Yeah, right? The problem with this movie is that they were all already rich. So the crimes they were committing were just dark.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:25

Right. That's a good point.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:27

Not the kind of crimes you can root for. Like robbing the rich.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:32

Well, I mean, yeah. The poor can't afford to get to this island. One and two. They can't afford the clone option. They can't afford the clone option, so they're just gonna die.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:40

How much do we think the clone option was, realistically? Half a million?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:44

No. No, not even half a million.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:46

I don't know. It looked like a fat wad of cash. Who knows? 250?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:50

No, no, I think higher almost. I feel like you're like full on like cloning yourself in like out here on a spree. That's gotta be like 700.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:00

700,000, I think. Maybe like almost like a mil. But then again, are they dropping a mill every single time?

SPEAKER_07 1:07:07

Each time. Is there a punch card? It's a lot.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:10

Is it a bogo? Is it like a two-for-one deal?

SPEAKER_07 1:07:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:13

Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:14

They're a group rate.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:16

Yeah, the group on roll up with a coupon. Um, so I would like to Oh no.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:23

Oh, that's terrible. Absolutely terrible.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:25

It is, it is.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:26

It's like a hard negotiation.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:28

This cloning process, though, does seem like a trip. Like it seems like an intense trip. Yeah, literally. Super intense. And when you have an intense trip like that, you need some time to come back from that. Yeah, you can't just go immediately watch yourself get stabbed to death. No way. You're like, you gotta rebuild your energy levels. That's a lot to go through. They need therapy.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:48

Yeah, I feel like at that point, like, how long am I staying in this place? You know what I mean? Like, how much am I gonna commit? I don't know if I want to go through the whole gag if like I'm gonna be here for a week recovering and then having to commit the crime and then okay, time for me to get cloned. Okay, I need to pencil things in, I have stuff to do.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:04

Yeah. And also, like, the vacation's over by that point.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:07

Yeah. No, at this point I gotta get on the flight.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:09

So I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:10

Now, did anybody think that when Alexander Skarsgard had that weird mouth thing in his mouth, that he looked like one of those claymation Wallace and Gromit people?

SPEAKER_03 1:08:18

A hundred percent. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:20

Yeah, yeah. Because that was giggling.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:24

It was a good sight for sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:26

Not me looking it up again just for a nice little peek.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:30

Yeah, do it. He is that grimace emoji. Is Wallace and Gromit what I'm talking about?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:35

Because I don't think I've ever actually seen that. Or like chicken run. That like claymation style. He looks like one of them.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:40

That style of animation, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:42

I stand by it.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:43

Oh yeah. Wow, it's so interesting. But I'm still into it. Wow, looking back and forth between these two things.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:49

There you go, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:50

It just needs green eyes on the little clay. It's quite spectacular.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:56

Do you want a buffalo sausage?

SPEAKER_03 1:09:00

Why? Oh. If it's sexy, it's gonna be Sean's quote. There it is. I love seeing firsthand. I mean, obviously, Paris, you're on the episode on the show for many, many episodes. I've come to know the Paris roller coaster of emotions very well, knowing that the way you start is never the way you finish. And yet to see the reaction of Binks in particular going on this journey, absolutely phenomenal.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:35

Well, so here's my thing. I figured that Paris is gonna slash this. I think it was just I I really thought that Paris was gonna be the only one that slashed this. I think I'm just kind of shocked.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:46

Oh, I was the curveball.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:48

You were the curveball.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:49

And how we got to that slash was understandably confusing.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:53

And I will right, well, and that part. And also I will say that I, for a minute there, I did think I was wrong about you, Paris. I thought, like, oh shit, because you you know what I mean? But then I figured, again, the Church of Miyagoth is strong, and I unfortunately maybe I just haven't gone to mass in a bit, and it wasn't enough for me specifically, but I figured, okay, I can anticipate enough.

SPEAKER_07 1:10:15

It's the Miyagoth magic.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:17

Listen, I was there for her when she was an old woman covered in blood. I was there for her when she was fucking a scarecrow in a cornfield, but I couldn't be here for her in this. I just couldn't do it.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:28

Not this time.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:29

No, this is a line, this is a step too far. I feel like the gore score could also be bumped up honorably just for the amount of orgy that's in this movie.

SPEAKER_07 1:10:42

Oh, yeah. Well, you know. I did note those visuals because I immediately got dizzy, and I was like, how did I watch this high in a theater and not remember almost falling out of my seat?

SPEAKER_03 1:10:55

I feel like this is a strategically planned off week for Mac. He would have thrown up watching this. Honestly, maybe.

SPEAKER_07 1:11:02

Yeah, that that part was dizzying, is what I wrote down.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:07

I needed the uppins to come in this movie. Fuck, I shouldn't have said that.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:15

Put it on the counter. Nice. There it is. There we go.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:18

Up ince and cum in the same moment.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:21

Up and same breath.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:24

Not unlike James Woster behind that tree. Jesus Christ. Okay. I needed them to get what was coming to them. You know what I mean? That was a moment where I loved goddamn pink stuff. There's no way for me to say this without saying the word cum. All right. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:48

It's all good. Go ahead. Go ahead. We'll hold it together.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:52

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:55

Listen, no one wants to uh no one wants to pick the jack-off scene as their favorite uh Why would we want to pick the piss and come? Sean, are you about to? I'm not, I'm not. But it wasn't, it was a it was a scene that was memorable. That definitely evoked a reaction out of you for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:14

No, that's that's absolutely I did have a note that said um piss and come shot question mark.

SPEAKER_06 1:12:19

It's just the dripping on the on the pebbles for me, you know? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:23

The droplets. The droplets. Yeah, I you know what?

SPEAKER_07 1:12:26

Yeah, and the sound effects. We see him piss twice, and it's like a concerningly weak pea stream. It's giving like prostate needs to get checked, James.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:36

God, Alexander Skarsgard, please.

SPEAKER_07 1:12:38

It was a trickle. I'm like, where do a kegel? What are we what are we doing? Terrible.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:43

God, I hope he's okay. Oh, well, I guess there's that too.

SPEAKER_07 1:12:50

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one that was kind of like, um, hey there, what you doing?

SPEAKER_02 1:12:55

That's not yours. But I don't know, it it still seemed odd for what the story was supposed to be about in terms of James.

SPEAKER_07 1:13:04

Yeah, he also kind of seemed the richest.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:06

Not the head honchoed a little bitch pipeline.

SPEAKER_07 1:13:10

He was like a whimpering little dog.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:12

You know what else he was whimpering, though?

SPEAKER_07 1:13:16

Actually. During your worst part.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:18

I can't have a worst part because I hacked it.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:20

Oh. Oh, I'm still oh, I'm still saying the worst part.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:24

And I do have to, I do have to come up with a best part, but I am gonna slide a worst part in just for funsies. He was also whimpering, not unlike a baby.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:35

That in in costuming, I thought that was really, really great, and I appreciated the masks. Um, some of them were just like, how the fuck did you even make that shit?

SPEAKER_00 1:13:44

Right?

SPEAKER_02 1:13:45

Like, where the fuck did they even come from? I don't know. I don't even know. But the point is.

SPEAKER_07 1:13:49

Wait, Bings. They were merch for the resort. I They were like from the gift shop. I forgot about that until I rewatched it. And they're like, these are available for the gift shop because it's our annual thing we do.

SPEAKER_06 1:14:00

And I was like, that's not good merch. They were selling them. Here's the thing though. Were they like weird byproducts of failed doubles gone wrong?

unknown 1:14:10

Oh.

SPEAKER_06 1:14:13

Because the guide does you the guide literally says like they don't always work out the first time, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:21

So like gosh, these are eventually one of them becomes a fucking dog.

SPEAKER_06 1:14:26

So or yeah, I don't know. I mean, I listen, I don't know. I'm just going out on a limb here.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:32

It's like when you go to Best Buy and buy something that's open box because you know it's just a little bit fucked up, but it's still sellable.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:37

Just repurchasing someone will love this.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:41

Hold on, I'm gonna paint everyone a picture then. I'm gonna paint everyone a picture. You're telling me that these masks are merch for the resort and potentially botched clones of rich assholes. And so I'm going to this little resort, I'm having myself a little La Tolka moment, I'm gonna go take my friend some souvenirs, and I'm gonna go and I'm gonna grab that busted ass mask that potentially could have eventually been Alexander Skarsgard's face.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:10

Could be.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:10

If it's, you know, if there's a coupon.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:12

This is sounding better by the moon.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:14

If there's a coupon, if there's a coupon, maybe, but that's we are actively improving the film. Is this gonna go up in stream in ratings in my litter box?

SPEAKER_04 1:15:27

This was way better than Barbarian.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:30

Don't let's not do that here. It wasn't a hairy nipple, so it was okay there. What oh my god. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. This is a lot right now, and I don't I don't have enough stamina to be able to fight all three of you on this movie, so that's another time.

SPEAKER_06 1:15:42

Yeah, I'm probably alone on this.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:44

Hold on, you keep forgetting that I slashed Barbarian. No, but you barely but you don't You did?

SPEAKER_07 1:15:48

We saw it in theaters together, Kringle.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:50

I know. I still slashed it.

SPEAKER_07 1:15:52

What happened?

SPEAKER_03 1:15:53

I thought about it.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:54

What happened?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:55

No, no, to me, to me, you're not passionate enough, so it makes me think that you really like it's actually a hack for you. You just slashed it because you saw potential.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:04

Not you telling me how I feel about this movie that I liked. Okay. Okay, fine. Okay, fine. Yeah, it's just Bink said it so well. There's too much secretion in this movie.

SPEAKER_06 1:16:17

Secretion. Yeah. And tonight's word is secretion.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:26

It's for your own good.

SPEAKER_06 1:16:27

This was your idea, remember?

SPEAKER_03 1:16:29

Ooh.

SPEAKER_07 1:16:30

Another one in the can. Done. She's still got it.