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Review

Allegra Geller (Leigh) has created her newest game, eXistenZ, whose virtualism is so real that players need to attach the game directly to their spines. Once hooked up, players can touch, taste, feel the environment; but what effect does this have on their reality? Complicating matters is the self-reflexivity of eXistenZ, where players hook up to new games within the game. Ostensibly a meditation on our decreasing grip on reality, it seems more an excuse for Cronenberg to explore orifices (the anus-like "bio-ports" that the game hooks up to), gore, and other favorite themes. It's a fun ride, and certainly very creepy, especially the game unit and umbilical cord that are made from flesh and blood. Another great score by Cronenberg regular Howard Shore adds to the atmosphere. But the later plot twists betray the characters' previous actions, and following the story can become a chore rather than a pleasure.