eXistenZ (1999)

71% of critics liked it
(63 reviews)
64% of users liked it
(44,500 ratings)

Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg, who has long been fascinated by the ways new technology shapes and manipulates the human beings who believe they are its masters, is in familiar territory with eXistenZ, a futuristic thriller which combines elements of science fiction, horror and… More Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg, who has long been fascinated by the ways new technology shapes and manipulates the human beings who believe they are its masters, is in familiar territory with eXistenZ, a futuristic thriller which combines elements of science fiction, horror and action-adventure. What is eXistenZ? According to the glossary Cronenberg put together for this film, it is a new organic game system that, when downloaded into humans, accesses their central nervous system, transporting them on a wild ride in and out of reality. What's more, it changes every time it is played, by adapting to the individual user -- you have to play the game to find out why you are playing the game. More than one person can plug into the same game and set out on a series of bizarre and surrealistic adventures together. The narrative takes place sometime in the near future, when game designers are worshipped as superstars and players can organically enter inside the games. Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the goddess among computer game designers whose latest invention, 'eXistenZ,' taps deeply into its users' fears and desires by blurring the boundaries between reality and escapism, is subject to an assassination attempt and forced to flee. Her sole ally is Ted Pikul (Jude Law), a novice security guard sworn to protect her. Persuading Ted to play the game, Allegra draws them both into a phantasmagoric world where existence ends and eXistenZ begins. Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is supposedly something of a computer nerd in real life, is hip and sexily alluring as Allegra Geller. When she and Pikul make love and are transported to the bizarre setting of a trout farm which has been converted to an assembly line production plant for games, they delve deeper into the dangerously intriguing game. Soon the forces of Anti-eXistenZialism will close in on Pikul and Allegra. eXistenZ marks the first time since Videodrome that Cronenberg has written a completely original screenplay. eXistenZ was inspired by the tribulations of the fugitive writer Salman Rushdie, author of the Satanic Verses. After interviewing the author for a magazine article in 1995, Cronenberg was struck with the idea of an artist who suddenly finds himself on a hit list for religious or philosophical reasons and is forced to go into hiding. The idea of a game came later on, for which he created a new vocabulary. According to Cronenberg, eXistenZ thematically connects to Crash, Videodrome, Naked Lunch and even M. Butterfly in terms of exploring the extent to which we create our own levels of reality and the idea of a creative act being dangerous to the creator. This is the second film on which Alliance Atlantis has been associated with Cronenberg, after Crash, which won the Special Jury Prize at the 1996 International Cannes Film Festival. On the occasion of the presentation of eXistenZ, Cronenberg received a Silver Bear for his outstanding artistic achievements at the 49th International Berlin Film Festival in 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: David Cronenberg
Written By: David Cronenberg
Genres: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Apr 23, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Oct 19, 1999
Studio: Miramax

Critic Reviews

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
I just don't happen to like puzzle films of any kind, but I must credit Mr. Cronenberg with more intellectual depth than most of his fellow pessimistic movie pranksters.
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle
It's good art direction in search of an idea.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Jennifer Jason Leigh is an ideal Cronenberg heroine, projecting a personality that is smart, wary and capable of obsessiveness.
Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle
This darkly sexual sci-fi horror variant by Cronenberg makes The Matrix look like child's play.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
[It's] meant to have a whiff of the philosophical, even if its intellectual ambition seems mostly limited to spelling affectations.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The Matrix is mainstream sci-fi, but eXistenZ, written by Cronenberg, is much stranger; it creates a world where organic and inorganic are not separate states, but kind of chummy.
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
It's a disturbing, disorienting sensation -- puzzles within puzzles, games within games -- that continues right up to the last shot.
Rob Humanick, Projection Booth
Experienced gamers should find much to savor through the films unique assessments on the nature of reality.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
[Cronenberg is] a laughing existentialist here, a philosopher who sees the comedy in disorientation.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Dark, delirious fun.
Judith Egerton, Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
Brave moviegoers and fans of writer-director David Cronenberg will find funny dialogue and grotesquely engrossing scenes in his latest sci-fi horror tale.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Fans may find certain similarities between eXistenZ and Videodrome bothersome, but both films are the real thing.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
An evolution for the filmmaker that will reach maturity in the quiet, devastatingly economical eloquence of Spider.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
a genuinely jolting yarn... Cronenberg eventually succeeds in making the audience feel as disoriented as Allegra...
Annlee Ellingson, Boxoffice Magazine
Cronenberg's commentary here, though grotesque, belies a certain intelligence.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
Cronenberg has fashioned a tight little thriller in eXistenZ, whether or not its premise is as original as we'd like.
William Arnold, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The premise is solid, the script is clever and well-thought-out, and the movie is consistently engaging...

Read all 17 critic reviews

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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..
moon r

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.
Drew S

Cheesy, dumb fun. The ending is predictable and completely atrocious, and both Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law are clearly slumming, AND the constant attempts at mind-fucking the viewer out of his concept of reality grow a little tiring. I think David Cronenberg should have played… More
Cheesy, dumb fun. The ending is predictable and completely atrocious, and both Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law are clearly slumming, AND the constant attempts at mind-fucking the viewer out of his concept of reality grow a little tiring. I think David Cronenberg should have played this one straight - a little more action, a little more sci-fi, a little less boring and unrevealing dialogue about the nature of the human conscious. Of course, it's Cronenberg, so it's a creative idea bursting with a bunch more smaller creative ideas, and the movie keeps your attention pretty well. I just wish it had a little more energy. Gamer nerds like that kind of thing, and though the writing surely hit the spot, the tone of the film didn't quite feel appropriate. All the phallic imagery with the Bioport is HILARIOUS, by the way.
Dean !

A strange film and a must for gamers. Set in the future where virtual reality games rule, this follows the latest game to be unveiled which leaves it hard to tell the difference between the game and reality. A great idea, but would benefit from repeat viewings to fully grasp what is… More
A strange film and a must for gamers. Set in the future where virtual reality games rule, this follows the latest game to be unveiled which leaves it hard to tell the difference between the game and reality. A great idea, but would benefit from repeat viewings to fully grasp what is going on!
Dean M

Bit dull sci-fi with the return to director David Cronenberg's gruesome and innovative <i>Videodrome</i> days.