Futuristic films that portray grotesque experiments tend to be different than a usual sci-fi or horror flick. The science behind David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future displays an unsettling goal and theme. Think artificial intelligence meets crimes and corpses. Or even think about characters believing their ego or talent is more than it can be via synthetic technologies. Crimes of the Future is audacious from its creative plot and structure to its evolution of disturbing science. For Cronenberg, I found this one to be enthralling in terms of its title, but also the amount of realism in its directing to create something more vibrant than technological terror.

I thought Cronenberg had reached his level of depth and explicit content with Crash in 1996, a film where sexual energy was connected to infidelity, car crashes, and technologies. All those factors played into deadly goals. The goals are just as deadly in Crimes of the Future. The only difference is that it is more tolerable and a little less sexual, but still rather elaborate and just as twisted as Crash. Cronenberg has always had a fascination with insects, and that factors into the alarming aspects of his directing. The correlation to insects in Crimes of the Future is people’s anatomies working like their immune systems have stomach bugs to help their immunity remain afloat.

Cronenberg has an eye for eerie thrillers. The films that have grasped my attention the most have been A History of Violence (2005), Eastern Promises (2007), and A Dangerous Method (2011), all of which starred Viggo Mortensen. Mortensen’s vibe can be either disturbing or positive; however, he can portray all kinds of roles despite his mellow-toned attitude. Mortensen’s mellow-toned attitude in Crimes of the Future steps up the level of science, technology, fear, and the many features of artificial intelligence for dangerous purposes. Many of the characters in the film have no idea what their dangerous experiments holds in terms of irreparable consequences.

 Crimes of the Future gears on Saul Tenser (Mortensen) and Caprice (played by Lea Seydoux). The setting is an unknown futuristic world. The era of the film is one where humans can connect themselves to synthetic technology to help them with many factors of their anatomy. This can create many transformations and mutations. However, the technologies pose a risk because some people are jumping way ahead of their time. With their assistant Timlin (played by Kristen Stewart), the realizations of dangers in the technology of human species begin to take serious risks because the synthetic surroundings cause acceleration in many arenas. For Saul and Caprice, their goal is to use the synthetic surroundings to create an art show believed to take audiences’ breath away. However, some have a different goal in mind for the strange technology. There is Lang Daughtery (played by Scott Speedman), who wants to use the technology in hopes to bring his son back to life somehow. The different uses of the evolving artificial intelligence go in many strange waves in Crimes of the Future. With knowing the works of Cronenberg, though, I expected there to be quite a bit of awry.

The concept of synthetic environments and technologies for humans is a new idea of evolution in Crimes of the Future. From Cronenberg’s mind, though, there is no good in this technology. The good is in where it benefits the evil sides of its usage. That is where the questions spiral out of control for its characters and its audience. The risks of using synthetic technologies are violations of many laws in this one-of-a-kind sci-fi thriller

As I have said, the technology in the film violates norms because much of the experiments are not approved. I found the film to be eerie of its clarification towards what is right and wrong. I also found it to the plot to be out of focus. However, it being out of focus tended to grow my fascination towards what other uses the synthetic environments can create in Crimes of the Future. It is an experimental tale of love, loss, fame, and creativity on layers of different evils. Crimes of the Future will hold its audience in deep fascination of science from the mind of Cronenberg.

Artificial intelligence may seem cool in today’s world, and it may seem cool in the beginning of Crimes of the Future. There may be times, though, where the software may not be as realistic or trustworthy as its audience expects. Be ready for some glitches of terror and unexpected surprises in the most revolutionary and dark paths of Crimes of the Future. This is one to go in with an open mind. I did enjoy this one though. Three and a half stars.