David Cronenberg's films are often uncomfortable to watch — in a delightfully unhinged way, of course. I remember watching his "Naked Lunch" for the first time and developing an intense fear of typewriters, although the viewing experience is also something I genuinely cherish in my heart. Cronenberg is no stranger to alienating mainstream audiences with his films, a case in point being his 1996 Cannes premiere of "Crash," which made some viewers sick to the stomach and prompted a few walkouts.
Cronenberg's upcoming horror sci-fi drama, "Crimes of the Future," will see his return to the twisted, psychological aspects connected to the human body, which acts as the perfect segue into the director's masterful grasp over the body horror genre. In an interview with Deadline, Cronenberg spoke about the graphic nature of "Crimes of the Future," due to which he expects the "last 20 minutes" to be "very hard on people," and expects "a lot of walkouts:"
"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."
'I Really Don't Think We'll Have A Crash Experience'
Cronenberg has been clear that while his motivations are to create movies to garner a reaction from audiences, as cinema is a conversation, the more widely interpretative and diverse, the better. However, he clarified that his intention is not to "shock people or assault them" with his ideas, as he simply intends to put forth his vision, no matter how audacious it might appear on a superficial level.
With "Crimes of the Future," Cronenberg will be diving into the near future where adapting to synthetic surroundings is a necessity for humans, which inevitably ushers in the next stage of evolution, both psychologically and physically speaking. Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen) can be viewed as an artist who uses scientific advancements to examine the human condition, most importantly, his own body, which acts as an experimental canvas for creative expression, sexuality, and the psychological makeup of the human mind.
When asked whether he expects a repeat of the strong audience reaction to the Cannes premiere of "Crash," Cronenberg explains that he is "not nervous" about it, although he does expect the "notorious clack" of seats as one gets up:
"Well, I'm not nervous. I'm looking forward to it because you make a film to have people react to it. Now, I really don't think that we'll have a Crash experience.
People always walk out, and the seats notoriously clack as you get up because the seats fold back and hit the back of the seat. So, you hear clack, clack, clack. 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."
Apart from Mortensen, "Crimes of the Future" also stars Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, and Don McKellar.
"Crimes of the Future" will premiere at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, which will run from May 17 to May 28, 2022. The film will then release in theaters on June 3, 2022.
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The post David Cronenberg Expects 'A Lot of Walkouts' For His Very Graphic Crimes of the Future appeared first on /Film.
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