eXistenZ (1999)

“I have this phobia about having my body penetrated surgically”

Imagine if the face-hugger autopsy scene from Alien was an entire feature length film — that’s eXistenZ! There’s lots of squishy, slimy flesh-like objects, there’s a gun made out of bones with teeth-bullets, and buttholes. Just loads and loads of butt-like-holes.

eXistenZ is about an immersive virtual reality game that becomes the target of a shadowy network of “realist” assassins. It has a baby-faced Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law caressing fleshy game consoles and sticking weird umbilical cords into each others “portals”, a hole implanted in the base of their spines. Despite all the gooey, slimy openings, there’s an undercurrent of horror around virtual reality that feels way ahead of its time. Whenever technology shows up in horror movies, you never know how well it’s going to age, but eXistenZ feels more relevant than ever.

This movie is also wildly funny, but not like ha-ha funny. I feel like Cronenberg is almost parodying himself, and I’m here for it?! As gross as this movie is, it’s kinda the last weird-as-fuck film that Croenenberg made before settling into more mainstream films, and I honestly miss his fucked up yonic/enveloppement horror stuff. Less Viggo Mortensen, more buttholes, David!
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#horror #bodyhorror #virtualreality #existenz #cronenberg #davidcronenberg #judelaw #jenniferjasonleigh
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