Review of eXistenZ (1999) by Stuart K — 02 Sep 2011

The other mind-bending computer-based sci-fi film of 1999, however, this one was the better one, because it was directed by David Cronenberg, and his style his unmistakable. His take was a little more lo-fi than The Matrix, but that's a good thing, with added Canadian accents.

This has computer game designer Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who has created a new video game called eXistenZ that taps into the minds of it's players, it's not so much a game, but a new way of life.

However, after an assassination attempt during a demonstration of eXistenZ, she goes on the run and into hiding with marketing trainee-come-bodyguard Ted Pikul (Jude Law), eventually retreating into the virtual reality world of eXistenZ, in hiding in a motel room, but even within Geller's creation, nothing is what it seems.

The film was inspired by a conversation Cronenberg had with Salman Rushdie, this is a weird yet highly underrated film indeed, touching upon familiar Cronenberg hallmarks such as indentity and the confusion between reality and fantasy, plus the film has a brilliant supporting cast including Ian Holm, Christopher Eccleston and Willem Dafoe.

It's different from other sci-fi films, and all the better for it.