eXistenZ

The bizarreness of Cronenberg's world in full effect. The intertwining of time planes, the predilection for death and autopsies, and the insatiable inevitability of mutual sexual attraction. Unfortunately, it all comes to naught thanks to the jovially- contrived screenplay which, with its final point, does not outsmart the viewer, but rather itself, by arriving a day late and a buck short, when the viewer was already expecting the same outcome for the umpteenth time. Although tangible, the author's idea to show the world his attitude toward computer games is nevertheless reprehensibly underdeveloped. (15.10.2006)

What if we are not in the game anymore? Such a good idea in such a confused scenario. Sci-fi about virtual realities gets a quite brutal blow to the weak points from the first few minutes, when Cronenberg doesn't avoid all sorts of disgusting things or unknown slimy creatures (or objects) and with his indispensable bizarreness, he is desperately funny this time. The confusion of the whole story is most importantly shown in the final, which goes from being overcomplicated to a sympathetic satire and back again. (23.05.2008)

David Cronenberg is a director whose work corresponds to my ideas about the sci-fi genre, and his style, which deals with mysterious elements, atmosphere, and morbid ideas, has thrilled me in many cases. EXistenZ is his fantastic piece, where the cast, performances, screenplay, and individual visual elements have come together to create a work that I have nourished within myself for many months. In the film, reality seamlessly merges into a dream without warning the viewer, and the protagonists themselves do not know whether they are connected to a computer game in virtual reality or experiencing real emotions and events. "You don't have to kill me," says one of the heroes, and immediately adds, "but tell me, are we still playing the game?" The film raises a number of questions about the extent to which technologies controlling the human mind can go and the price of human life. Overall impression: 95%. (13.06.2006)

Quite interesting, but hard to digest. Had I seen it before The Matrix and Inception I probably would have been more into it. Now it's only Cronenberg's humongous perversity that pulls it up. (09.05.2012)

What David Cronenberg couldn't handle is the ending of the movie "eXistenZ". It just didn't turn out well. David got tangled up in the layers he created here, and it ended badly. Usually, I don't have a problem with his conclusions, they make sense, but this time he just went too far. I understand what he was aiming for, but firstly, it could have been foreseen, and secondly, it's not that revolutionary after all. On the contrary, I believe he managed to kill everything we were watching before the ending. However, there is a crucial line here, almost like the end of the story "The Pit and the Pendulum". "This is still just a game, isn't it?" one character asks. Is it? Or isn't it? No one can answer clearly. It can be both. (22.11.2013)

My second Cronenberg after Videodrome. Overall, the idea is a blast, I just wonder if the grossness was necessary, because I could have imagined, for example, that introduction of the port in some more human and eye-pleasing way rather than disgusting like this. But not to criticize, the craftsmanship is really good and Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law were perfect. 4.5 stars (04.11.2010)