Dystopian Doldrums: Cronenberg Misses the Mark with Crimes of the Future
Crimes of the Future (2022)
Directed by David Cronenberg
Starring Viggo Mortenson, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart
Am I a fan of David Cronenberg? I am not sure, maybe? Probably not? Sometimes?
I have now viewed 10 of the director’s 22 films, and I find myself lacking a strong inclination to champion his work. While there are moments of beauty in Cronenberg’s films, they are often overshadowed by a sense of grime and self-importance. It seems likely that Cronenberg is exploring personal themes such as violence, sex, control, and beauty. Art, after all, serves as a medium for artists to navigate their thoughts, concerns, and fears. However, from the perspective of an audience member, my experience has been predominantly unsatisfying. Despite retaining fond memories of certain well-acted scenes or visual motifs, I am left feeling empty after watching a Cronenberg film.
Crimes of the Future pays homage to Noir films of the past, demonstrating that their visual techniques remain compelling today. It blends this homage with a narrative where characters accept horrific torture as a bleak reality of the future—a concept that might be considered genius. However, does this make the film enjoyable? Unfortunately, it does not. The provocative allure of Cronenber’s Crash (1996), the profound character development in Eastern Promises (2007), and the innovative visuals of The Fly (1986) all surpass what he was able to achieve with Crimes of the Future.
Viggo Mortensen reunites with Cronenberg as the lead actor for the fourth time, portraying Saul Tenser, a performance artist who mutilates himself under the guise of art. Despite Mortensen’s commitment to the role, the character’s corny lines and attempts to appear brooding and mysterious ultimately render his performance flat and somewhat absurd. This is compounded by the inclusion of a bizarre chair that aids in his digestion, a prop so oddly assembled it seems like the work of bored clerks at a Halloween costume store using discarded plastic skeleton parts.
Léa Seydoux plays Saul’s performance artist partner, Caprice, who, despite her beauty, is relegated to a role that lacks substance beyond serving as visual contrast to the film’s grotesque acts. Crimes of the Future also introduces an environmental subplot that fails to deliver, feeling like a missed opportunity to be the focal point of the story. Kristen Stewart, portraying Timlin, a bureaucratic assistant to Mortensen’s character, stands out by embracing the film’s absurdity. Stewart’s performance, characterized by her character’s exaggerated facial tics and antics, indicates an awareness of the film’s ludicrous nature, making her role a delight to watch.
As Crimes of the Future concluded with Mortenson’s character seated in the previously mentioned absurd chair, I found myself cursing the cinema gods for enticing me to sit through yet another of David Cronenberg’s time-wasting ventures in an almost deserted theater. Perhaps this was the director’s intention all along? Could it be that he feels a sense of emptiness in his life, and chooses to communicate this by sharing his peculiar visions with us, the audience, so that we might also experience this void? Or my inability to appreciate this form of art is the issue, unlike the attendees of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, who honored the film with a six-minute standing ovation?
Grade: If Cronnerberg’s best films like The Fly, Crash and Eastern Promises are B-‘s, then Crimes of the Future is a D-.
One thought on “Dystopian Doldrums: Cronenberg Misses the Mark with Crimes of the Future”