Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Crimes of the Future (2022) movie poster

Spoiler-Free Summary

Crimes of the Future (2022) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

Release, runtime and language
2022 · 107 min · English
Echo score 71
JustWatch #2,255 35
Directed by
David Cronenberg
Starring
Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Viggo Mortensen, Giorgos Pyrpassopoulos, Denise Capezza, Don McKellar
Budget
$35M

In a dystopian future where the human body undergoes synthetic evolution, performance artist Saul Tenser showcases unsettling transformations of his own organs alongside his partner, Caprice. As Saul’s fame grows, a detective, Timlin, begins to monitor their activities. However, a shadowy organization sees an opportunity to exploit Saul's notoriety, intending to reveal a disturbing progression in human evolution and further obscure the line between biology and technology.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What it is about
  3. 3 Is it worth watching?
  4. 4 After you watch
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like Crimes of the Future
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Crimes of the Future (2022)

Where can you watch Crimes of the Future? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Kanopy and Fandango at Home Free: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

Spoiler-free summary · safe to read

What Is Crimes of the Future About? (No Spoilers)

The plot of Crimes of the Future (2022) without spoilers: what it is about, who it follows and where it takes place, told without the twists or the ending. Enough to decide whether it is your next watch, not enough to ruin it.

In a near‑future world where biotechnology has become routine, human bodies are seamlessly fused with machines that regulate organ function and even replace pain with sterile precision. Surgeries are performed in plain sight, and the line between biology and technology has blurred to the point where new organs can sprout as naturally as thoughts. This unsettling landscape is populated by quiet anomalies—people who digest plastic, children with inexplicable abilities, and a society that has largely abandoned the notion of vulnerability.

At the heart of this milieu is the performance‑artist duo Saul Tenser and Caprice, whose work turns the body itself into a stage. Tenser lives with an accelerated‑evolution syndrome that forces his flesh to generate novel organs on a continual loop, a condition that both torments him and fuels their provocative shows. Together they stage live extractions, turning surgery into spectacle and intimacy, suggesting that the act of cutting and rebuilding has become a new, intimate language for a world that has redefined desire.

Monitoring their unsettling art is Timlin, a detective whose official role forces her to watch the boundary‑pushing performances for signs of unrest. Fascinated as much as she is wary, she becomes a conduit between the sterile bureaucracy of the National Organ Registry and the raw, corporeal expression of Tenser’s art. Her presence adds a layer of tension, hinting at larger forces that see both danger and opportunity in the couple’s radical displays.

The film moves in a tone that is both clinical and erotic, a coldly elegant portrait of a society eager to rewrite what it means to be human. It invites the audience to wonder how far art can go when the body itself is no longer a fixed vessel, and what consequences might arise when technology, evolution and desire intersect on a public stage.

Last updated: August 09, 2025 at 21:30

Was this helpful?

What to expect

Is Crimes of the Future Worth Watching? What It Feels Like

Is it dark, sad, slow, intense or confusing? The mood of Crimes of the Future (2022) in a few tags, without a word about how it ends. Each tag opens a list of movies that feel the same.

After you watch

Seen Crimes of the Future? Read the Ending Explained

Once you have watched Crimes of the Future (2022), come back for the full story: the plot summary with spoilers, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and what happens at the end, explained.

Movie threads

More Movies Like Crimes of the Future, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Crimes of the Future tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Bleak Transhumanist Futures like Crimes of the Future

Stories exploring the dark and painful consequences of technological evolution. Explore more movies like Crimes of the Future that delve into dystopian futures shaped by transhumanism. These similar sci-fi stories feature body horror and philosophical themes, presenting heavy, dark tales about the merging of technology and humanity.

  • dystopian
  • unsettling
  • philosophical
  • somber
  • clinical
  • transgressive
  • Tone: dark, somber, unsettling
  • Pacing: slow, meditative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives involve characters grappling with radical bodily or societal changes, often framed as a disturbing new normal. The central conflict arises from the clash between an evolving reality and the remnants of human nature, leading to explorations of grief, loss, and the search for meaning in a synthetic world.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared focus on the dark side of transhumanism, using dystopian settings to explore heavy themes of identity, loss, and the clinical, painful intersection of the organic and the artificial.

Movies about Transgressive Art like Crimes of the Future

Stories where avant-garde art blurs the line between creation and suffering. If you liked the performance art themes in Crimes of the Future, discover more movies featuring transgressive art. These similar dramas and thrillers explore artists who use pain, their bodies, or shocking acts to create, often within a dark and complex narrative.

  • transgressive
  • unsettling
  • painful
  • clinical
  • somber
  • psychological
  • Tone: dark, transgressive, melancholic
  • Pacing: slow, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot follows an artist or performer whose controversial work attracts scrutiny, admiration, and danger. Their artistic journey is intertwined with personal trauma, leading to a narrative that questions the nature of art, pain, and the limits of the human body or spirit.

Why they belong together: These films share a focus on the process and impact of extreme, boundary-pushing art. They are united by a dark, complex tone, a slow build of unease, and a deep exploration of the connection between creativity and suffering.

If you liked this

Movies Like Crimes of the Future

Similar movies to Crimes of the Future: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

Crimes of the Future (2022) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Crimes of the Future in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning, the ending explained and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app