David Cronenberg's body horror film 'Crimes of the Future' is now streaming on BBC iPlayer, offering a gruesome and unsettling experience for fans of the genre. The science fiction movie, set in an undisclosed future where human evolution has taken a disturbing path, stars Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart.
The film follows performance artist duo Saul Tenser (Mortensen) and Caprice (Seydoux) in a world where physical pain and infectious diseases are virtually non-existent. Surgery has become a form of sexual gratification, and the couple exploits this by incorporating procedures into their performances. Saul suffers from Accelerated Evolution Syndrome, causing new organs to grow inside his body, which Caprice removes in front of live audiences.
Critics have praised the film, which marks Cronenberg's return to science fiction and horror for the first time since 1999. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 80% favourable rating, with one reviewer calling it 'the most original film I've seen in well over a decade'. Another described it as 'one of the weirdest and most grotesque movies I have ever watched', while warning viewers not to watch it before eating or sleeping.
The film also features Kristen Stewart as Timlin, an uneasy bureaucrat from the National Organ Registry who becomes infatuated with Saul. The story delves into political themes as Saul becomes embroiled with opposing groups, including radical evolutionists who believe humans can adapt to consume synthetic materials in response to pollution.
