Evolution — the process of undergoing natural changes in a life form’s characteristics across several generations. Once a Darwinian theory, now a scientific explanation for the reason the terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex has a family photo with Tweety bird.
But Darwin’s life-changing science project doesn’t only cover the natural — there is an unnatural element to evolution. Brought about by mankind’s interference with the elements, a mingling with the synthetic that director David Cronenberg highlights in his latest project, Crimes of the Future, not to be confused with his hour-long 1970s sci-fi of the same name and no literal relation.
Set in a not-too-distant future in which humans are mutating at a rapid rate to lose their pain receptors, Crimes of the Future focuses on an ongoing battle between mankind’s past and its biological step forward. As the human body undergoes these changes, and new internal organs begin to form, people are starting to develop a taste for the synthetic. Plastic is the food source for these new beings, who face scrutiny from their non-plastic munching peers.
The answer to why some people prefer elastic over eggs is as mysterious as the film’s title. The nature of the “crimes” are left open-ended from the beginning, when a mother suffocates her child after seeing him chomp into a plastic wastebin like a hard-shelled taco. Is this murder the crime in question? To us, the humble moviegoers, the answer is obvious. But according to the mother, portrayed powerfully by Lihi Kornowski, the true crime was allowing the boy to live any longer, his existence a symbol of the next stage in mankind’s evolution to some, but a monstrous departure from humanity to others.
Ironically, it’s these plastic-eating metahumans who seem to be on a more natural path than the “regular folk” who despise them. Humans, having lost the ability to feel pain, are almost robotic in tone and even more reliant on technological assistance to maintain their “normal” lives. Bizarre, “Cronenberg-esque” machines are used for every day activities such as eating, sleeping, and even doing the dirty (more on that later). While our protagonist, played by a congested Viggo Mortensen, is forced to sit in a bone-aligning chair to eat mushy peas, others are eating processed plastic candy bars and erasing the massive carbon footprint mankind has made.
This dividing debate in what it means to be human is one part of Cronenberg’s narrative. The legendary auteur makes sure to feature plenty of what he’s known best for: grotesque body-horror. The stories of mass walkouts in theaters and festivals across the globe may have come as no surprise to anyone aware of Cronenberg’s filmography. Though the director doesn’t quite push the boundaries of prosthetic gore the way he did with films like The Fly or Scanners, there is a particular way he goes about it with Crimes of the Future.
Similar to many of his previous projects — most notably Shivers, which saw a town ravaged by sex-crazed parasites — the director’s latest is quite sensual. Rather than feature any actual sex, Crimes of the Future instead introduces a “new sex” consisting of body-slicing, organ removing performance art, much of it delivered by the typically scene-stealing Léa Seydoux and argued vociferously by an “organ bureaucrat” played by Kristen Stewart. Cronenberg’s commentary touching upon mankind’s reliance on technology and the disturbing way it intertwines with basic human desire is very much intentional and thorough.
The metatextual nature of the film shows that Cronenberg, whose previous film was 23 years ago, is very aware of the conversations that his films spark, even decades later, with his own son following in his footsteps as a director of the weird with films like Possessor. Though that doesn’t mean the film is a parody of Cronenberg’s previous works. Rather, it acts as a blueprint for his films, a reflection of his most defining filmmaking traits. As if to say that this film is the culmination of his career.
Advertisement
As a result, Crimes of the Future can feel pretty bare bones, a carefully structured outline that may leave some Cronenberg fans just wanting to revisit his crazier, gorier classics for something with more bite. But it can also feel like Cronenberg has truly found his voice here, fully displaying his hold on what he knows to be the reason people go out to watch movies with his name attached. Whatever the case, Crimes of the Future is a horror film that, like many these days, strives to open a discussion rather than simply leave its audience with a couple of scares during the autopsy.
Crimes of the Future is now playing in select theaters. Watch the gruesome trailer here.
Advertisement