David Cronenberg’s EXISTENZ (1999) — Friday Night WTF!
May 22 : 8:45 pm – 10:30 pm
Friday Night WTF screenings are cheap, weird, and out of control! Cult trashterpieces, so-bad-they’re-good crapfests, movies that make you ask “What the hell am I watching?!” — we’ve got ’em all on Friday night.
Visionary director David Cronenberg’s deliciously deranged riff on video games, virtual reality, and corporate conspiracy, eXistenZ is an undersung masterpiece of sci-fi horror. Set in the near future, when video games have evolved to a point where they are able to biologically interact with players through the use of an electronic umbilical cord, eXistenZ stars Jennifer Jason Leigh as brilliant game designer Allegra Geller, who goes on the run with her publicist (a baby-faced Jude Law) after surviving an attempt on her life by a crazed assassin. Attempting to evade capture by a black‑market bio‑port mechanic (a terrifying Willem Dafoe), the two flee physical reality completely by tapping into the digital world of Allegra’s most recent creation, eXistenZ. In many ways a successor to the analog terror of Videodrome, eXistenZ updates Cronenberg’s pet concerns for the digital age in a techno-thriller full of creepy creatures, squishy bio‑controllers, and an exploration of the blurry line between twisted fantasy and grim reality.
This screening is part of Arkadin’s May 2026 series, THE COMPUTER IS MY FRENEMY, featuring films that explore our collective love-hate relationship with the digital world. Does the internet truly bring us together or only tear us further apart? Find out this month!
Arkadin does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. However, we encourage researching titles to determine if a screening may contain content that could be upsetting to you. Please feel free to contact us for guidance on specific films. Information about content can also be found on Common Sense Media, IMDB and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.
Theater Policies
- All seats are first-come, first-served.
- The theater opens 30 minutes prior to showtime, except for “Happy Hour” events and pre-shows when the theater opens at the listed start time.
- All ages are welcome at Arkadin except for Drinkolas Cage events, which are restricted to 21+. We follow the MPAA rating guidelines for all other films.
- Tickets can be purchased using the BUY TICKETS link above. Upon ordering, you will receive a confirmation email from Square. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the show at the concession counter.
- If you’ve purchased advance tickets, when you arrive, please give your name at the concession counter to check in.
- Tickets are returnable by sending a request through the contact form located on our About Us page prior to showtime.
- When an event is sold out, we reserve the right to release open seats to customers on the waitlist. If you have a pre-purchased ticket and arrive late and there is no seat for you, your ticket will be refunded.
- All screenings are held in our indoor theater unless indicated otherwise in the event description above.
- Please respect your fellow movie-goers by remaining quiet and refraining from using your cell phone throughout the screening.