Cronenberg's new body mutilation film has people walking out of theatres
Popcorn and movies go hand in hand, but you might want to skip the snacks when watching David Cronenberg’s new film, Crimes of the Future.
Festival and premiere audiences have seen the movie, which came out on Friday. Some spectators walked out of screenings, unable to stomach the King of Body Horror’s newest oeuvre.
When the film was shown at Cannes on May 23, over a dozen viewers, apparently sick to their stomachs, walked out within the first 15 minutes of the film.
David Cronenberg predicted there’d
be Cannes walkouts during CRIMES OF THE FUTURE, and I counted around 15 who exited during the film’s first press screening. Maybe walkouts are the new standing ovation!— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) May 23, 2022
“Everyone loves to talk about how movies are difficult to watch and it’s fun to talk about people walking out of Cannes screenings,” remarked Kristen Stewart, one of the film’s stars at a festival press conference.
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The initial walk-out was not an isolated incident, though. Audience members of other advanced screenings reported similar happenings in movie theatres.
“Surgery is the new sex” Crimes of the Future was fantastic. Just got out of the advance screening @AFISilver . Two people walked out early on, but we think they were in the wrong theater. If not, their loss!
— Abigail Kabaker (@A_Kabaker) June 3, 2022
4 people walked out of my showing of crimes of the future 🥴
— ✨💎 (@jennietaemin) June 3, 2022
Crimes of the Future, set in a dystopian future where people create anomalous organ mutations, 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 in front of avant-garde audiences.
After watching the film for myself, I can confirm that the legendary Canadian director does not hold back on the gore and nudity, which is exactly what Cronenberg fans should expect.
And, if you’re able to stomach the graphic nature of some of the visuals, you’ll find a unique premise and thought-provoking plot under the surface.
Despite having his critics, no one can claim that the 79-year-old, who wrote and directed countless horror classics like The Fly (1986) and Scanners (1981), has lost his edge.