eXistenZ
A game designer and her reluctant bodyguard descend into a grotesquely organic virtual world where every layer of reality becomes suspect.
Overview
A thrilling dive into the blurred lines of reality and virtual worlds awaits you.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Labyrinthine
- Violence
- Moderate
- paranoid
- grotesque
- darkly comic
- late night viewing
- mind bending double feature
What critics said
Critics generally found Cronenberg's strange, grotesque science fiction inventive and entertaining, though some considered its disjointed narrative a missed opportunity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Allegra and Ted move through a game whose events become indistinguishable from their apparent real-world actions.
The game pod, bodily gameports, and weaponry are fleshy, wet, and animal-like rather than sleek or mechanical.
Ted must accept a surgically created port in his body, while the game system interfaces directly with human flesh.
A celebrity game designer, corporate marketing interests, assassins, and immersive virtual play converge in a dystopian technological world.
Films like eXistenZ, and why
The Matrix
reality instability, virtual worlds, cyberpunk themes, and paranoid science fiction
Open Your Eyes
ambiguous realities, psychological disorientation, and science fiction suspense
Videodrome
biopunk body horror, grotesque practical effects, and technological anxiety
The Cell
reality manipulation, identity uncertainty, and cerebral psychological science fiction
Movie Details
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Release Date
- 1999-04-14
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (2292)
Cast
- Jennifer Jason Leigh
- Jude Law
- Ian Holm
- Willem Dafoe
- Don McKellar
- Callum Keith Rennie
- Christopher Eccleston
- Sarah Polley
- Robert A. Silverman
- Kris Lemche
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is eXistenZ about?
- A game designer and her reluctant bodyguard descend into a grotesquely organic virtual world where every layer of reality becomes suspect.
- What is eXistenZ like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of eXistenZ as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as labyrinthine.
- Is eXistenZ violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in eXistenZ as moderate.
- What did critics think of eXistenZ?
- Critics generally found Cronenberg's strange, grotesque science fiction inventive and entertaining, though some considered its disjointed narrative a missed opportunity.
- Which films are like eXistenZ?
- Films with a similar feel include The Matrix, Open Your Eyes, Videodrome, and The Cell.
- How long is eXistenZ?
- eXistenZ runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch eXistenZ?
- In United States, eXistenZ streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
