Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  My impression was that eXistenZ was a kinda flat movie version of a good original screenplay. Not great - but there is definitely some good stuff in here as Cronenberg messes with with ideas of reality, role playing and film making..

• Chris W

  
  Released right around the time as that famous mind bender The Matrix, this is David Cronenberg making something of a spiritual sequel to his earlier masterpiece Videodrome. Focusing on video games and virtual reality, this is one of those thriller films that really makes you… More
  Released right around the time as that famous mind bender The Matrix, this is David Cronenberg making something of a spiritual sequel to his earlier masterpiece Videodrome. Focusing on video games and virtual reality, this is one of those thriller films that really makes you question what's real and what isn't, constantly blurring the line. I think Total Recall and even Inception did this sort of thing better, but DC gives it the good college try here, and should be commended for it. The plot (I'll try to make it as simple as possible) follows a video game designer who, after an assassination attempt, escapes with her assistant in the world of her latest creation, the titular eXistenZ. What makes this fit into the world of Cronenberg is the trademark mixing of technology with flesh, namely the use of bio ports and umbilical like things for the gaming system, and col gun made out of bones and muscles that uses teeth for ammo. It's all very bizarre, and gross, and creative, like the best of the director's output, but I think this one could have spent more time in the oven. It feels very rough, somewhat under cooked, and filled with good ideas, but suffers overall due to needing to be more fleshed out. I was initially going to critique the acting, but thankfully the film itself addresses this, and I thought it was rather clever. It also is cool that the film has a reason for being really disorienting and confusing, even if the end result isn't completely new or original. It at least scores points for building on the Videodrome concept using other forms of technology, and showing the effect of using this technology even more so. There's a good cast her, and they seem to be having a lot of fun. The effects are quite good too, and really deliver the goods when it comes to being gross and uncomfortable. All in all, this is not for everyone, and, while it doesn't fully come together, I do have to give it some points for trying, and it at least kept me engaged and questioning things (in a good way).

• Emil K

  
  One of visionary director Cronenberg's very best and orginal films to date. Existenz is a highly twisted, dark and nightmarish journey into a deepest corners of human subconscious. The whole concept of this film is just pure genius and the screenplay, penned by Cronenberg… More
  One of visionary director Cronenberg's very best and orginal films to date. Existenz is a highly twisted, dark and nightmarish journey into a deepest corners of human subconscious. The whole concept of this film is just pure genius and the screenplay, penned by Cronenberg himself, serves much to think about even long after the end credits has rolled. With it's seductive score by Howard Shore and oddly hypnotic mood Existenz pulls you in into it's limitless netherworld full of possbilies and layers beneath layers. Here is a film science fiction film with brains and one that does not need any unncessary shoot-outs or action setpieces like lame and brainless The Matrix-trilogy did. Existenz is a rare film that has fascinated me since the first time i saw it. It might not be Cronenberg's best film, but it is up there as one of his most daring and experimental works. For the fans of sci-fi and Cronenberg, Existenz is a must see film.

• paul o

  
  All hail Existenz! Its not Cronenberg's best but its a fun twisted watch.

• Universal D

  
  No characters, no real story, only the layered platform for Cronenberg's question, namely: who are we if we continue to blur the lines between fantasy (in this case a computer game) and reality? A timely question perhaps, but dully realised. Jude Law's fight to sound… More
  No characters, no real story, only the layered platform for Cronenberg's question, namely: who are we if we continue to blur the lines between fantasy (in this case a computer game) and reality? A timely question perhaps, but dully realised. Jude Law's fight to sound American struck me as a more entertaining.

• Melvin W

  
  Allegra: The only way I can tell if everything is OK is to play eXistenZ with somebody friendly. Are you friendly, or are you not?  "Where does reality stop... And the game begin." God, I have no idea whether I liked eXistenZ or not. I'm probably overrating it a bit.… More
  Allegra: The only way I can tell if everything is OK is to play eXistenZ with somebody friendly. Are you friendly, or are you not?  "Where does reality stop... And the game begin." God, I have no idea whether I liked eXistenZ or not. I'm probably overrating it a bit. It's not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination. The whole movie is a big question, are we in the game or aren't we? There's something annoying about this concept. With that said, that's also the sole reason I did find enjoyment in the movie. It was pretty fun to watch because of this, but still annoying to think about at the same time. The cast should have been awesome, but no one really performs up to their potential. In fact, it's the worst I've ever seen Law and Leigh. Even giving his worst performance in my opinion; Jude Law is still average in the film. But Leigh was horrible. I was shocked at just how bad she was, but to be fair I think she was totally miscast in this movie.  It's just an odd movie all the way around. I want to love it, but can't. Then when I think about how the movie plays out, I should hate it, but I can't. I'll just say I was entertained by it and it was at least an interesting movie, even if that's all it is. 

• Steven C

  
  What a completely odd little movie. Normally I hate these sort of puzzle films. By design they are not satisfying and abnormally tricky. I don't think you should have the intention of purposefully misleading and alienateing your audience when making a film. However,… More
  What a completely odd little movie. Normally I hate these sort of puzzle films. By design they are not satisfying and abnormally tricky. I don't think you should have the intention of purposefully misleading and alienateing your audience when making a film. However, "eXistenZ" is a film that is so confident in it's vision and existential theme that the idea of 'misleading' is inherent in it's set up. Feeling 'mislead' by David Cronenberg's film is good here because it enhances the story. It's something naturally found when exploring existentialism. With films like "Inception," which inorganically creates the plot twists, "eXistenZ" finds them naturally in it's narrative. It also helps that the film does not take itself too seriously. Cronenberg's sick sense of humor is all over this film. As for mind bending science-fiction you can do a lot worse than 'eXistenZ" but you can also do a lot better. The film never dares to be risky enough. However, if it did dig deeper it would run the risk of totally collapsing so maybe what we are left with is the best possible outcome. Sure the film may look and feel dated but it's worth a watch for it's oddball sexualized imagery and humor and it's just flat out bizarre premise of blurring the line between the solid and the porous with reality and unreality.

• Coxxie M

  
  Ground-breaking sci-fi drama that paved the way for such films as the Matrix, Gamer, and Tron. i actually remember a George Lucas quote from the 70's where he said, "well when i was filming THX!#128JK7$ i was a bit nervous because this was my first film you see, and i was… More
  Ground-breaking sci-fi drama that paved the way for such films as the Matrix, Gamer, and Tron. i actually remember a George Lucas quote from the 70's where he said, "well when i was filming THX!#128JK7$ i was a bit nervous because this was my first film you see, and i was worried about the budget and my producer, Tom, he said i should just do like they did in ExistenZ! and im all like, 'Tom, that's perfect!' and so we went to Spencer's and bought all these cool rubber cockroaches that bleed when you squeeze this tube thingie and so thats basically how we did the special effects and the movie cost us about 9.95 to make, and you know, the nasty, dead, bloody bugs from ExistenZ were such a great influence on us at the time cause like, no-one was doing it. anyway, im writing a screenplay now for a film called Space Battle and i've been watching alot of Cronenberg lately. i really like I Am Number Four as well... heavy shit."

• Ken S

  
  This feels like the cheapest of Cronenberg's movies. While it's not great, it does have some uniquely Cronenbergian moments.

• Alexander W

  
  Bordering modern B-movie due to its A quality acting ( joking) but the theme is, how do you say? Typical Cronenberg but the movie, if not very entertaining or convincing, will deliver a shudder of paranoia and keep you watching. If you liked this then you might like Gattaca or Gamer.

• Jeff "

  
  eXistenZ is a fine return to form from David Cronenberg. It's a film that takes the best parts of his weirdest films of the 80's and puts it into a new kind of film. Existenz is a film that tests the boarders of reality and is a reflection of existentialism, and in the eyes… More
  eXistenZ is a fine return to form from David Cronenberg. It's a film that takes the best parts of his weirdest films of the 80's and puts it into a new kind of film. Existenz is a film that tests the boarders of reality and is a reflection of existentialism, and in the eyes of David Cronenberg, it brings the film to a whole new level of weird. Existenz is a film thats shocks you, and plays tricks on your mind. In the end you will ask yourself several questions. A terrific cast compliments this terrific story and this film is yet another David Cronenberg classic in the making. A film to shock and twist your senses, eXistenZ is a winner

• Conner R

  
  An interesting idea that never got appreciation due to The Matrix. It's actually a lot more fun and has a better story. Jude Law, Willem Dafoe and Jennifer Jason Leigh gave a lot better performances. It is just a fun bizarre movie that should be seen by any fan of Cronenberg

• Anthony L

  
  Not Cronenbergs best but it?s one of his more assessable movies

• Cassandra M

  
  Who should watch this film? Anyone who has ever taken acid, read Philip K. Dick, thought the premise of the Matrix was better then the special effects, has an interest in Philosophy, or likes having their sense of reality messed with. I laughed out loud at this film, just because it… More
  Who should watch this film? Anyone who has ever taken acid, read Philip K. Dick, thought the premise of the Matrix was better then the special effects, has an interest in Philosophy, or likes having their sense of reality messed with. I laughed out loud at this film, just because it was so outrageous and so spot-on. This film is great. This film is cool. It is better than the Matrix, by a long shot (I didn't fall asleep in Existenz, for a kick off: action/special effects films bore me stupid, and despite a plausible philosophical gloss, that is exactly what the Matrix is). Existenz is gross, it is disturbing, and it is funny. David Cronenberg has done some shonky stuff (Rabid) and some works of genius too (Videodrome is another one worth checking out, as is Stephen King adaptation The Dead Zone). But this is one of my all-time favourites. I can't remember the ending- which is a good thing, cos it means I can watch it again. Or perhaps I never watched this film at all. Maybe it's an implanted memory. Or maybe it 'really' happened to me. I don't know. At any rate, it is now seamlessly stitched into my overall illusion of reality, and I'm glad.

• Stephen M

  
  Hmmm, not bad. This is one of those head-fucking sci-fi movies that blurs fantasy and reality to the extent where it's impossible to separate one from the other. Clearly intentional, Cronenberg's disorientation tactics are not necessarily a problem in themselves, but he… More
  Hmmm, not bad. This is one of those head-fucking sci-fi movies that blurs fantasy and reality to the extent where it's impossible to separate one from the other. Clearly intentional, Cronenberg's disorientation tactics are not necessarily a problem in themselves, but he loses points by giving us so little reason to care about what is happening to Jason Leigh and Law; if I'm being made to think, I need something to give a shit about, otherwise I will just give up! It's a fun film, perhaps just a bit too self-satisfied with its own cleverness to be wholly likeable. The cast looks strong on paper but, disappointingly, several performances turn out to be nothing more than cameos (Christopher Eccleston, Willem Dafoe, Ian Holm, Sarah Polley).

• _kelly .

  
  One day David Cronenberg decided that he needed to remake Videodrome, but make it about video games, and eXistenZ was born (pronounced eggs-iz-stends). Unfortunately, that movie was not as good as Videodrome, even the cult French movie Avalon surpassing it in terms of story concept,… More
  One day David Cronenberg decided that he needed to remake Videodrome, but make it about video games, and eXistenZ was born (pronounced eggs-iz-stends). Unfortunately, that movie was not as good as Videodrome, even the cult French movie Avalon surpassing it in terms of story concept, though it was packed with Cronenberg's very cool aesthetic for blending flesh and circuits. Of course, the prop design is great, and talented actors begged to be in this, but it's just not resounding. It's Cronenberg, so it's well done but like I keep finding myself saying abut some directors: it just doesn't compare to their other films, which while is a fault for Cronenberg, most other directors would be blessed to have done this well. The pace works well, almost too well as the 90 minutes whiz by a bit too quickly. Just needed more....material than some typical scifi twists and mimicry of PKD paranoia.

• Arash X

  
  "Are we still in the game ?"

• Michael S

  
  David Cronenberg's most underrated film to date.

• Lafe F

  
  Gooey virtual reality videogame fantasy. Its organic alien props are mixed with advanced electronics to make a mind-bending new videogame product, which has dangers of affecting reality. It's a dark icky journey, which was imaginative and engaging. The two-headed dragon was cute,… More
  Gooey virtual reality videogame fantasy. Its organic alien props are mixed with advanced electronics to make a mind-bending new videogame product, which has dangers of affecting reality. It's a dark icky journey, which was imaginative and engaging. The two-headed dragon was cute, when it was raw. I liked the concept of the bone-gun.

• xGary X

  
  Taking up where Videodrome left off, eXistenZ once more tackles the subject of the human condition and it's relationship with the media. The main problem with it is that the plot is so divorced from reality that it has no logical progression, just a serious of events that have no… More
  Taking up where Videodrome left off, eXistenZ once more tackles the subject of the human condition and it's relationship with the media. The main problem with it is that the plot is so divorced from reality that it has no logical progression, just a serious of events that have no narrative cohesion. This destroys any drama or suspense it may have had. Not only that but the twist at the end is so blatantly obvious to anyone who has seen more than 3 sci-fi movies in their life that it will inevitably disappoint (although Cronenberg was obviously aware of this, and added a final line that does raise a smile.) As a whole it seemed like a pale imitation of a Cronenberg movie rather than one of his own, and it suffers in comparison (to Videodrome in particular.) Not terrible, but In The Mouth Of Madness did something similar, and did it a LOT better. But it's a damn sight better than Total Recall.

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