Infinite (2021)

Infinite (2021)

3/10

Starring

Mark Wahlberg

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Sophie Cookson

 

Directed by Antoine Fuqua

 

Remember how much we all loved The Matrix? Now imagine mixing that with The Old Guard. That’s what this movie aspired to be—but it failed woefully. The movie is poorly strung together, highly incoherent, and I have to hand it to the special effects team. It seems they understood that this movie was supposed to be exciting more than the director and screenplay writer did. Unfortunately, their hard work was wasted as the film tries to keep you entertained with stunts, high-octane car chases, and bizarre explosions—all of which fail to compensate for the bad direction and horribly written screenplay.

The movie collapses under its own weight because the more you learn about what’s going on, the more you dislike how everything is unfolding. It seemed like a good idea—an adaptation of D. Eric Maikranz’s book The Reincarnationist Papers—but the execution? Well… let’s just say I’m glad I didn’t see this in the cinema.

Here’s the premise they had to work with: In this world, there’s a group of people called Infinites. These individuals can reincarnate, and some, like Evan (Mark Wahlberg), have the ability to recall their past lives. Among the Infinites is a faction called the Nihilists, who believe reincarnation is a curse. Led by Bathurst (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the Nihilists want to end all life on Earth as we know it. Evan holds a secret from his past life that could save humanity from Bathurst and his followers.

The problem? Evan struggles to remember who he is. In this reincarnation, he believes he’s suffering from a mental disorder, as he inexplicably knows things he shouldn’t, possesses skills he never learned, and understands concepts beyond his experience.

Evan’s path crosses with Bathurst’s when he tries to buy drugs from dealers. Bathurst seems to know more about Evan than Evan knows about himself. Their seemingly innocent meeting at a police station—after Evan’s drug deal goes south—takes a sharp turn when Evan is rescued by strangers. These people later reveal themselves as Infinites, who aim to help Evan unlock his memories and uncover the secret buried within them, all while attempting to stop Bathurst.

The whole “you are special, you are more than you think you are” trope feels like it’s been pulled from every other movie. It blatantly borrows from The Matrix with its “seeking the one” storyline, where the protagonist has no idea they are “the one.”

As for the acting, I know Wahlberg is capable of better than this. It’s downright disgraceful to see him rely so heavily on the idea that the plot alone would carry his performance. His acting is emotionless, and it seems he forgot that facial expressions play a huge role in conveying an idea or emotion.