David Cronenberg, who is best known for his iconic body horror films likeThe FlyandVideodrome, is returning to the genre after decades with the upcomingCrimes of the Future. The film takes place in a society where pain is a forbidden pleasure and “surgery is the new sex.“Crimes of the Futurestars Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart, and Léa Seydoux in the lead roles and will debut at the Cannes Film Festival later this month.
Film festivals premiere all sorts of movies, and most of the attendees go in without knowing anything about the film they are watching. And this sometimes causescontroversies and even walkouts. The Cannes Film Festival is notorious in this regard, and several movies like Gaspar Noé’sIrreversible, Lars Von Trier’sAnti-Christ,and Richard Kelly’sSouthland Taleshave drawn strong reactions for their graphic violence, sexuality, or simply for being mediocre.
David Cronenberg himself is no stranger to controversies, as his last Cannes outing,Crash (1996),about a group of people aroused by car crashes, caused a furor among the critics. However, it has now developed a cult following and is cited amongst Cronenberg’s finest works. In a recent interview withDeadline, the body horror maestro predicted that his latest film,Crimes of the Future,will also invite a strong reaction at Cannes and that he is eagerly looking forward to it. However, Cronenberg expects the general audience to be more receptive to the film.
“There are some very strong scenes. I mean, I’m sure that we will have walkouts within the first five minutes of the movie. I’m sure of that. Some people who have seen the film have said that they think the last 20 minutes will be very hard on people, and that there’ll be a lot of walkouts. Some guy said that he almost had a panic attack. And I say, “Well, that would be OK.” But I’m not convinced that that will be a general reaction. I do expect walkouts in Cannes, and that’s a very special thing. [Laughs]”
“Whether they’ll be outraged the way they were with Crash, I somehow don’t think so. They might be revulsed to the point that they want to leave, but that’s not the same as being outraged. However, I have no idea really what’s going to happen,” Cronenberg continued.
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David Cronenberg Returns To Body Horror Genre With Crimes Of The Future
Crimes of the Futuremarks David Cronenberg’s first film in eight years and his first horror film in over two decades. Atrailer was released for the filmlast week and promised a film every bit as grisly, grotesque, and utterly disturbing as a vintage Cronenberg film. Speaking of his return to the “fleshy” films, Cronenberg told Deadline:
“But, yeah, I guess that is the description of this movie: it’s going to either attract or repel people. Basically, I’m returning to a kind of filmmaking that I haven’t done for a while. And the feeling is that there’s a new audience for a film like Crimes of the Future that didn’t exist when I was making my last three or four films. So, it’s my return to the flesh.”
Written and directed by David Cronenberg,Crimes of the Futurestars Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart, and Léa Seydoux, alongside Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, Don McKellar, Nadia Litz, Lihi Kornowski, Yorgos Karamihos, Yorgos Pirpassopoulos, and Tanaya Beatty.
Crimes of the Futurewill arrive in theaters on July 10, 2025.
