The setting was in fact inspired (as Cronenberg recently related on the podcast The Big Picture) by a trip he had taken years ago, on which a highly secured resort on a tropical island was surrounded (as is often the case) by a countryside full of abject poverty. Infinity Pool takes this to a logical extreme, where the super-wealthy can pay their way out of any crime by footing the bill for their double to suffer the consequences, meaning that no objectionable, offensive, or illegal behavior—even by normal standards, not just those of an authoritarian regime—is off the table.
That’s where Goth’s Gabi comes into view. The unofficial leader of a small group of amoral, hedonistic, privileged vacationers who indulge their most base whims with little fear of reprisals, Gabi immediately sets out to seduce James, both psychologically and sexually, and draw him into their circle.
“I received the script for Infinity Pool whilst filming Pearl, and originally I decided I wasn’t going to be reading anything at that time,” Goth says. “But it had Brandon’s name on it, and I was very excited by this. So I read it, and knew very early on that this was something I would want to be a part of.”
Gabi is the third ferociously provocative role that Goth has inhabited in less than 12 months, with the British actor winning acclaim for her turns in Ti West’s X and its prequel Pearl, both of which came out in 2022 (Goth co-wrote Pearl with West). In some ways, Gabi is a natural extension of those characters, with all three on a continuum that finds Goth exploring the limits of repression, decadence, and sexual coercion, a journey that reaches a dangerous endpoint with Gabi.
“It did occur to me that Gabi, particularly in the third act, in the final scenes… there were parallels between how unhinged and wild and feral she is,” Goth says while comparing the character to her previous, recent horror roles. “I definitely saw parallels there, between that and some of the things that Pearl goes through. But more than anything, it just felt like a gift to have the opportunity to continue exploring these really complicated, messy, wild characters. That’s far more interesting as a performer and for me, right now, that’s what I want to explore most.”
Goth, who played supporting roles in earlier films like High Life, Emma., and A Cure for Wellness, sees her recent spate of performances, which have elevated her into the realm of genre queen, and particularly the role of Gabi as a way to challenge herself onscreen.
