Popcorn and movies go hand in hand, but you may want to skip the snacks when you’re watching David Cronenberg’s new movie, Crimes of the future.
Festival and premiere audiences have seen the film, which came out Friday. Some spectators walked out of the screenings, unable to swallow the King of Body Horror’s latest body of work.
When the film was screened in Cannes on May 23, more than a dozen viewers, apparently sick to their stomachs, walked out within the first 15 minutes of the film.
David Cronenberg predicted that there would
be Cannes strikes during CRIMES OF THE FUTURE, and I counted about 15 leaving during the film’s first press screening. Maybe strikes are the new standing ovation!— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) May 23, 2022
“Everyone likes to talk about how hard movies are to watch and it’s nice to talk about people walking away from Cannes screenings,” noted Kristen Stewart, one of the film stars at a festival press conference.
However, the first walk-out was not an isolated incident. Spectators of other advanced screenings reported similar events in movie theaters.
“Surgery is the new sex” Crimes of the Future was fantastic. Just came out of the preview @AFISilver † Two people walked out early, but we think they were in the wrong room. If not, their loss!
— Abigail Kabaker (@A_Kabaker) June 3, 2022
4 people walked away from my display of crimes of the future
— ✨💎 (@jennietaemin) June 3, 2022
Crimes of the futureSet in a dystopian future where humans create abnormal organ mutations, it follows Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), a performance artist who has his organs surgically removed by his partner and lover Caprice (Léa Seydoux) in erotic rituals for avant-garde audiences.
After seeing the film myself, I can confirm that the legendary Canadian director isn’t holding back on the gore and nudity, which is exactly what Cronenberg fans should expect.
And if you can bear the graphic nature of some of the images, you’ll find a unique premise and thought-provoking plot beneath the surface.
Despite his critics, no one can argue that the 79-year-old, who wrote and directed countless horror classics such as The fly (1986) and Scanners (1981), has lost its edge.