Review of Naked Lunch (1991) by Del H — 31 Aug 2014

I think that it can be a bit self-indulgent in its almost obsessive homage to Burroughs and the film lacks the edgy satire that made the novel so excellent, but Cronenberg does manage to give us a barbed portrait of the writer's mind, in all of its paradox.

The writer must create, but the very act of creation is what brings him to the most painful parts of his person. I think Cronenberg captures this dystopia of the psyche with precision and uses his usual gooey, biomorphic imagery to drive this point home.

It's a self-imposed nightmare that Cronenberg explores here, which is honestly the most common but least filmed type of horror.