david cronenberg and much like colleague david lynch and be an acquired taste . a director who play with theme like reality and perversion and sex and insanity and death and be bind to get the most extreme reations from audience . he prove this with film a the fly and naked lunch and crash and exitenz ( capital x and capital z ) and more recently and spider . it best to see existenz with a clear mind . try not to read too much about the plot and or it will be ruin for you . what i can tell you be that cronenberg take you on a trip down into the world of videogames that act a a metaphor for any kind of escapist behaviour . live out fantasy be something people always dream of and but how far can you go into it and before reality get blur and the fantasy take over and turn into a nightmare . those be the theme touch in existenz and an exploration of identity and the human psyche and physical body be invade by disease and most importantly and reality itself . the story and directing be excellent . cronenberg know his trade very well and succesfully brings to life an artificial world and avoid the usual pitfall and clichés link to story such a this . the film show some pretty disgusting stuff and but be unusually low key in the gore department in comparison to cronenbergs other work . the shock effect he play on be never over the top and the plot progression be very intelligent and creative . it not the most intellectual movie ever and but it will leave you think about it and wonder and pretty confused . the act get two thumb up as well . both protagonist and jennifer jason leigh and jude law and play their part perfectly and cleverly portray their character shift mood and identity . the dialogue may seem a little stale and clinical at time and but that be part of the effect cronenberg be go for and to create a disaffected and alien atmosphere that put you quite at unease . support actor a ian holm and don mckellar and an especially creepy willem dafoe lift the movie even higher with their disturbingly familiar performance . this movie take some get use to and but if you can appreciate the dark tone and blood curdeling imagery and existentially warp story and you will love it .