David Cronenberg’s A Harmful Methodology could not have the cult standing of his body-horror classics, nevertheless it’s important viewing for anybody who needs to actually perceive his work.
Regardless of a star-studded solid, the movie stays underappreciated — but its cautious exploration of human psychology reveals the roots of Cronenberg’s signature themes. The story follows Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) as their friendship fractures over the case of Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley).
Followers anticipating gore is perhaps pissed off, however A Harmful Methodology trades blood for concepts: it delves into the delicate line between the bodily and the metaphysical, between sensual expertise and religious thriller. Jung embraces the opportunity of the miraculous within the human psyche, whereas Freud clings to a purely bodily clarification for all conduct. This pressure mirrors the anxieties pulsing beneath Cronenberg’s horror movies.
Watching it appears like unlocking a grasp key to Videodrome, Useless Ringers, The Fly, Crimes of the Future, and his latest function The Shrouds; all works the place the thoughts, physique, and soul intertwine in unstable, unsettling methods. Even with out gore, the film’s deep unease concerning the limits of human understanding suits squarely inside Cronenberg’s legacy.
For longtime followers, or anybody drawn to psychological interval dramas, A Harmful Methodology affords a uncommon and interesting window into the obsessions which have outlined Cronenberg’s iconic profession. It’s presently accessible to lease on Amazon.