eXistenZ

Cronenberg making video games disgusting is exactly my thing 😁

eXistenZ is such a perfect Cronenberg movie because it takes something futuristic and somehow makes it feel fleshy, wet, and slightly gross 😂. The whole bio-port/game-pod setup is brilliant, and I love how the movie keeps messing with reality until you’re just as unsure as the characters about what level they’re actually in. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law are both great, and the supporting cast is ridiculous — Willem Dafoe, Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Christopher Eccleston. The practical creature effects are probably my favorite part though. Everything has that handmade, organic Cronenberg weirdness that makes the world feel genuinely different instead of just “generic future tech. ” The 4K presentation is excellent too. Vinegar Syndrome restored it in 4K from a 35mm interpositive with HDR, and it looks sharp while still keeping plenty of natural film texture. The disc is absolutely loaded with Cronenberg’s archival commentary, Peter Suschitzky’s commentary, effects material, interviews, and a ton of behind-the-scenes stuff. Weird, funny, gooey, paranoid, and still surprisingly relevant. Definitely one of those movies where the more I think about it, the more I like it. Easy 5/5. 😁

Reality Is Starting to Feel a Little Slippery

I had forgotten just how strange eXistenZ is. Cronenberg takes what could have been a fairly straightforward virtual reality story and fills it with fleshy game pods, bizarre characters, uncomfortable body horror, and that constant feeling that you are never quite sure which reality you are watching. I love how grubby and organic everything feels, especially compared with the clean digital worlds we usually get in films about technology. It is funny too, often in a wonderfully deadpan way, and Jude Law and Jennifer Jason Leigh completely buy into the weirdness. It may not be top-tier Cronenberg for me, but there really isn't anything else quite like it, and seeing VS give a film this peculiar the 4K treatment feels entirely appropriate.

eXistenZ