‘Crimes of the Future’ Trailer: Kristen Stewart Transforms Human Evolution with Gory Organ Transfers
Samantha Bergeson
David Cronenberg wants to “attack the world” with new film “Crimes of the Future.”
The writer-director said as much during 2022 CinemaCon when premiering the intensely horrific trailer for “Crimes of the Future,” which now publicly has made its debut. The body horror sci-fi epic marks “The Fly” director’s return to Hollywood after eight years, following 2014’s “Maps to the Stars.”
The film stars Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux as celebrity performance artists who publicly showcase the metamorphosis of human organs in avant-garde performances. However, the acts capture the attention of a National Organ Registry investigator, played by Kristen Stewart, and the true mission becomes clear: Organ transplants will lead to the next phase of human evolution. The film will premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in competition.
“It is time to stop seeing. It is time to stop speaking. It is time to listen,” the trailer eerily repeats as a warning for our future.
Cronenberg penned the screenplay 20 years ago, and producer Robert Lantos urged him to revisit it amid the pandemic. The film was filmed in Greece last summer, on the heels of writer/director Cronenberg’s appearances as an actor on “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 4. Lantos explained during the Neon presentation at 2022 CinemaCon that while “Crimes of the Future” was two decades in the making, it is remarkably timely for our present as the script is “more relevant now than ever.”
To note, “Crimes of the Future” is not actually a remake of Cronenberg’s 63-minute film of the same name from 1970.
The early Oscar contender already made awards season buzz with a previous sneak peek featuring eyelids sewn shut and hushed discussions of organ transferral. The gory dissections scenes definitely aren’t for the squeamish as Cronenberg’s camera lingers especially on the cringe.
Cronenberg has a long history with lead Mortensen, with “Crimes of the Future” being their fourth film together after “A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises,” and “A Dangerous Method.”
Stewart’s performance in “Crimes of the Future” is her first since marking her Oscar debut with a Best Actress nomination for “Spencer.” She is currently in pre-production on “Love Lies Bleeding,” a romance written and directed by “Saint Maud” breakout filmmaker Rose Glass. Stewart additionally is stepping behind the camera to write and direct a “ragingly female” adaptation of “The Chronology of Water.”
The film, based on a memoir by novelist Lidia Yuknavitch, focuses on Yuknavitch coming to terms with her bisexuality, addiction issues, and involvement with the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement opposing Israeli oppression of Palestine, according to the official film description.
“Crimes of the Future” will premiere in competition at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival from May 17-28.
Check out the trailer below.
