David Cronenberg's Most Disturbing Sci-Fi Nightmare Is a Hypnotic Masterpiece You Can't Look Away From

In some ways, Crimes of the Future followed the same path as another one of David Cronenberg's films, Crash – both premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where the critical reception was mixed, and both were largely overlooked by viewers.

Crimes of the Future doesn't so much surprise as provoke, asking uncomfortable questions you don't want to answer.

What Is 'Crimes of the Future' About?

In the near future, humanity is adapting to a new world. People have developed "accelerated evolution syndrome," which causes their bodies to undergo astonishing metamorphoses. People have lost the ability to feel pain, and the land around them has become lifeless.

Saul Tenser is a performance artist who works with Caprice. He grows new organs inside his body, which she then publicly dissects for spectators to admire. Clearly uncomfortable in his own body, Saul continues to cut flesh in search of meaning.

Meanwhile, a terrified mother kills her child, whom she believes to be a monster. The boy ate plastic, and according to his father, he was an example of a "new" human. Thus begins a confrontation between the plastic eaters and those willing to do anything to avoid becoming monsters.

In 'Crimes of the Future', David Cronenberg Turns Body Horror Into Philosophy

Crimes of the Future particularly appealed to Cronenberg fans, as it promised a return to the roots of body horror – and the director delivered.

This genre's language is tied to bodily sensations, however, since physical pain has disappeared from the world, only a one-on-one struggle with the body remains.

The new flesh adapts poorly to familiar processes – and instead of allowing the body to follow its own path, the characters begin to torture it.

Saul's body is in constant conflict with his consciousness, and no new organs help him find harmony. People are divided into two groups: some frantically try to accelerate progress, while others do everything they can to preserve the status quo.

'Crimes of the Future' Is a Hopeless Film That You Won't Be Able to Tear Yourself Away From

Crimes of the Future exudes a profound atmosphere of hopelessness reminiscent of both dystopia and old-school film noir. Cronenberg paints a bleak world in which artistic performances that explore the limits of the body take place against a backdrop of parched earth.

At the same time, the film itself isn't as repulsive as one might expect. The only thing the director got wrong was assuming that viewers would be so shocked that they would leave within the first 20 minutes.

Crimes of the Future is more disconcerting than repulsive – it features signature Cronenberg gadgets, such as chairs that help digest food, "smart" beds, and sarcophagi for surgery.

However, the director's main message is quite simple – he urges us to surrender to the natural evolutionary process that we have brought upon ourselves through technological progress rather than resist it.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Crimes of the Future'?

• Crimes of the Future has 80% from critics and 50% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.8/10.

• On Letterboxd, Crimes of the Future scored 3.3/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Crimes of the Future'?

Crimes of the Future is available to stream on Kanopy.