Mia Goth explains how Infinity Pool taps into female rage and how this elevates the story in Brandon Cronenberg’s third movie. Infinity Pool follows author James Foster as he and his wife (played by Cleopatra Coleman) vacation at an oddly security-conscious resort. James is hoping to find inspiration for his second novel, years after his first faced harsh criticism. The couple stumbles across two other tourists who are fans of James’ first novel, much to his surprise and delight. When they leave the resort, explicitly against instructions, James accidentally kills a man and is arrested shortly after.
However, this island has strange laws, with the punishment for his crime being death, but an alternative is possible for a hefty price: a clone can be made and killed in his place. This sends James down a depraved and dangerous road after witnessing his double being killed. It awakens something inside of him. While at Sundance, Screen Rant spoke with Goth about her mind-bending new horror film, Infinity Pool. Goth explains her takeaway from working on Infinity Pool and how the movie delves into female rage.
Goth has carved out a place for herself in the horror genre with impressive performances in a number of terrifying yet psychologically intriguing movies, including Infinity Pool. Goth’s takeaway from Infinity Pool being a new perspective on female rage and how it can be productive is an interesting lesson and a surprising link between some of her most well-known performances. She memorably pulled double duty in X as the young Maxine and elderly murderous Pearl. The prequel film Pearl, which Goth co-wrote, further explored Pearl’s history and showed the disturbing tendencies she has always had, as well as how rage sets her off.
Goth’s performances in horror are incredibly nuanced and tap into the tension and terror of the genre while balancing the more psychological aspects that are integral to horror. Goth has secured herself a place in the genre, but perhaps most impressively, it has been accomplished through independent horror movies instead of big-name franchises. Goth hasn’t stepped into an already existing franchise like Scream, Halloween, or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, taking the reins from an already established Scream Queen; she has carved out her own space while demonstrating her ability to carry a franchise with X and Pearl.
Infinity Pool is the next level of horror; initially given an NC-17 rating before being re-edited to be given an R rating, it examines how truly warped the human psyche can be. Goth’s understanding of horror as a performer, writer, and producer gives her a unique ability as an actress in this wide genre. Her horror roles show her depth and breadth in performance, with each role delving into a different aspect of the genre.
