Viggo Mortensen Crimes of the Future Plot and Production
Crimes of the Future is a 2022 science fiction film written and directed by David Cronenberg, starring Viggo Mortensen as Saul Tenser, a performance artist whose body evolves in a near-future world where organic change is criminalized. The film premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and was released theatrically by NEON, a U.S. distribution company that also handled marketing and international sales for the project. Mortensen, known for roles in Eastern Promises and A History of Violence, was cast as the lead after Cronenberg developed the script with him in mind, and the production was filmed primarily in Greece with a budget reported to be around 16 million USD according to industry estimates and public filings from the production companies involved Forbes review and production details. The story follows Saul and his partner Caprice, played by Léa Seydoux, as they perform surgeries on audiences while government agencies track newly emergent biological traits under a regulatory framework that treats spontaneous evolution as a crime SEC filings for NEON parent company.
Box Office, Streaming, and Financial Performance
Crimes of the Future earned approximately 13 million USD in global theatrical box office, with the United States contributing a significant share of that total, and the film later became available on streaming platforms including digital purchase and rental services through providers such as Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, where it is listed under NEON's distribution catalog. The film's financial performance is considered modest relative to major studio releases, but it generated strong per-screen averages during its limited theatrical run and has continued to earn revenue through home entertainment sales and licensing deals Forbes box office analysis. Viggo Mortensen's involvement is noted by industry analysts as a draw for arthouse audiences, and the film's marketing emphasized its practical effects and body-horror aesthetic, which differentiate it from mainstream franchise sci-fi projects. Investors tracking NEON's slate can find relevant financial disclosures and distribution agreements through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR system, where public filings for parent entities and distribution partnerships are available for review SEC EDGAR company filings.
Cast, Themes, and Critical Reception
The cast of Crimes of the Future includes Viggo Mortensen as Saul Tenser, Léa Seydoux as Caprice, and supporting roles played by Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, and Scott Speedman, with Cronenberg also making a cameo as a character named Brecht. The film explores themes of body autonomy, government regulation of biological change, and the commodification of pain and transformation, framing future crimes as acts of unregulated organic evolution rather than traditional legal offenses. Critics have highlighted Mortensen's restrained performance and the film's deliberate pacing, and the movie holds a score above 80 percent on major review aggregators, reflecting positive reception among critics who follow science fiction and arthouse cinema Forbes critical review. Vig