This movie isn't for everyone. Cronenberg cranks up the nihilism to eleven, but he creates a film that is as hard to look away from as it is to watch. The cast is almost uniformly superb: Elias Koteas disturbs and compels as the charismatic Vaughn; James Spader is captivating as the neophyte entering Vaughan's surreal world of car crash fetishism; Holly Hunter is commanding and assured; and Rosanna Arquette imbues her character with an unapologetic sensuality. The only clunker in the cast is Deborah Kara Unger, who is significantly less life-like than a department store mannequin.

Fun fact: J. G. Ballard greatly admired the film, and actually thought it better than his book. ( )

Yuk. I thought I was getting Paul Haggis' Crash and I ended up with this one. Bad. ( )