eXistenZ

As I watch all of Cronenberg’s filmography, he’s become one of my favorite directors of all time. I don’t think he’s the most technically polished or straightforward filmmaker, but his movies are so intrinsically curious, strange, and proactive that I can’t look away. eXistenZ plays out like a video game, with the viewer meant to feel confused for most of the runtime until the ending brings everything together. The campy performances paired with an over the top plot make for an incredibly enthralling experience. I say this in most of my Cronenberg reviews, but this movie is not for everyone and many will come away hating it. Personally, I found the exaggerated, darkly funny performances endlessly engaging and just plain fun. Beyond that, the film dives deep into humanity’s obsession with technology and our slow escape from reality. It feels wildly ahead of its time. The final moments, with people seemingly glued to their devices and barely reacting to the world around them, feels like an eerie accurate reflection of modern smartphone use. It suggests that if we push virtual reality too far, we’ll eventually lose the ability to tell what’s a game and what isn’t. Cronenberg at his most ambitious and intuitive, eXistenZ is a sci fi masterpiece in my eyes.