Crimes of the Future – An Impactful Return of A Master of Body Horror

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a new controversial brand of horror commonly referred to as “body horror” began to gain traction. The sub-genre was known for drawing horror from disturbing violations of the human body. Due to its grotesque nature and indulgence in graphic violence and sexual content, body-horror was looked upon by critics and audiences as “lowbrow” and was mainly targeted at the same crowd that consumed cult-films and video nasties.

In the mid-1980s, Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg took the genre to new heights, by intertwining physical horror with psychological horror. His films were less about shock value, and more a study of what happens when you push the human body to its limits. Cronenberg made a string of cult-classics under the body horror umbrella, that include The Fly, Videodrome, and Crash among others. At the turn of the century, Cronenberg transitioned into making more serious fare, leaning more towards thrillers and psychological dramas than horror. Around this time, body horror lost its appeal and slipped back from highbrow to lowbrow entertainment.

Within the past few years, body horror has begun to see a resurgence. Julia Ducournau’s directorial debut Raw, and most recently Titane, have rejuvenated the sub-genre and have inspired a new wave of filmmakers who are making smart and provocative studies of the human body and its capabilities. With body horror back in style, David Cronenberg has come out of retirement to return to the genre that he is heavily associated with and considered the master of.

Crimes of the Future is Cronenberg’s very first film in eight years and sees the legendary filmmaker reuniting with his artistic muse, Viggo Mortensen. The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where select individuals are beginning to mutate by experiencing a disorder known as “accelerated evolution syndrome”, where new types of organs are developing at random. Individuals experiencing accelerated evolution syndrome have difficulty digesting human food and are numb to bodily pain. Mortensen portrays Saul Tenser, one of the first humans to experience and study this disorder. Saul and his partner Caprice (Seydoux) are performance artists who showcase the removal of Tenser’s new organs in front of a live audience each night. He is of the belief that the origins that are growing in his body are unnatural and could lead to harm if not removed, while others believe that these growths are part of the natural evolution of the human race. The film delivers a dark and somber study of the human body that imagines a future where our bodies are physically altered to preserve and adapt to the urgent state of our planet in regards to climate change.

Fans of body horror are often drawn to the genre because they are looking for a one-of-a-kind filmmaking experience to leave them in absolute disgust. While Crimes of the Future is certainly disturbing, it’s not for the same reasons that most of Cronenberg’s early work is. His use of prosthetics and visual effects to depict the mutilation of bodies is often so detailed it’s difficult to stomach. The film has its fare share of surgical scenes that show the puncturing of skin to display the insides of the human body and the growth of new organs, but it is fairly light on gore for a film marketed as “sickeningly grotesque”. Fans of Cronenberg’s early work who are looking for another disgusting experience from the master of grotesque horror are going to be disappointed.

However, this film is arguably more disturbing than the vast majority of Cronenberg’s filmography. While some of his films are filled with gore and bizarre imagery, there’s a certain level of campiness and detachment from reality that makes them startling in the moment before losing their impact over time. The reason many fans single out Crash as his most disturbing isn’t only because of its hyper-sexual subject matter, but also for how it’s grounded in reality. Crimes of the Future does not have an ounce of camp in its bones. It’s a raw and down to earth film that depicts a world not too far off from the one of today if climate change isn’t taken more seriously. Its study of the human body is far more psychological and meditative, than physical. Instead of outright showing the mutilation of the body, the film gives audiences the materials to vividly imagine it, which is as disturbing as it is a test for audiences.

From a visual standpoint, Crimes of the Future is an extremely detailed and well-shot film. Almost every frame takes place at night or in a dimly lit location, creating an eerie atmosphere. The visuals and stellar production design help to bring Cronenberg’s post-apocalyptic world to life. Bone-like chairs, surgery tools that resemble brain matter, and people with multiple ears attached to their bodies are visual cues that make the world stand out from imagined visions of a post apocalyptic future.

Meanwhile, its performances aren’t necessarily groundbreaking, but serve the film well. Seydoux as Caprice is the clear standout, giving a complex performance as Caprice, a woman dedicated to her art, who both worships and envies Saul’s unique organ growth and resistance to pain. Mortensen is captivating as Tenser, the film’s central lead, delivering one of his most somber performances in recent memory. Kristen Stewart’s performance as a woman named Timlin is bizarre, but fascinating. Her whispery line delivery and unconventional mannerisms help to bring to life a really strange character that embodies the suppressive nature of the world Cronenberg crafts.

Crimes of the Future is fascinating and very well crafted, but it’s far from perfect. Cronenberg presents many dense ideas about the evolution of the human body and the future of our world, but is maybe a tad too open ended, to the point where some of these ideas run thin. There are certain plot points and characters that feel like unfinished ideas and are not fully realized.

Despite its shortcomings, Crimes of the Future is one of Cronenberg’s better films this millennium and proof that he is still a master of horror filmmaking.

still courtesy of Sphere Films

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Tristan French