The setting—a grimy, underpopulated version of Athens, Greece—functions as an "ecological parable". The world is filled with specialized biotechnology, such as the "Sark" bed and the "OrchidBed," designed to assist mutated bodies with basic functions like sleeping and eating.
The central narrative follows Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen) and Caprice (Léa Seydoux), a performance art duo who turn Saul’s unique medical condition—the spontaneous growth of "novel" internal organs—into public spectacles of live surgery. Crimes of the Future(2022)
: Cronenberg revisits themes from his earlier works like Videodrome and The Fly , but with a more contemplative, "noir" lens that acknowledges the inevitability of change. : Cronenberg revisits themes from his earlier works
: Saul’s struggle to find meaning in his mutations reflects a broader question about human agency. By tattooing and displaying these organs, he attempts to reclaim ownership of a body that is evolving beyond his control. Environmental and Societal Decay Environmental and Societal Decay : A major plot
: A major plot point involves a radical group of humans who have modified their digestive tracts to consume plastic, a direct evolutionary response to environmental pollution. This suggests that "crimes" against nature have forced the body to commit "crimes" of biology to survive. A Thesis on Transformation
Ultimately, the film is less about a traditional plot and more about a "creative evolution". While it features the visceral imagery Cronenberg is known for, it is also a "tender love story" and a satire of the modern art world.