‘Hot Spot’ Review — A Psychedelic Sci-Fi Nightmare That Takes Its Madness Too Far [LFF 2026]

Where to begin when describing Hot Spot? Perhaps by congratulating director Agnieszka Smoczynska (The Lure) on making one of the most creative and downright bizarre films of 2026. From artificial intelligence literally making people’s heads explode to disturbing physical transformations and psychedelic hallucinations, this futuristic nightmare has a little bit of everything. Unfortunately, it also leaves you with a headache and a rather discombobulated feeling.

Artificial intelligence is already changing the way we live, but let’s hope it never reaches the extremes depicted here. Set in a dystopian future where natural resources are running low, Hot Spot introduces a world controlled by an AI system called The Head. People receive food, water, and shelter, but must take a daily pill to stay connected to the system. This lets them communicate telepathically, access information, and experience virtual simulations. Normal conversations are rare, as most people communicate through their minds instead of speaking. Disconnecting isn’t much of an option either, considering the deadly consequences.

Detective Djonny (Andrzej Konopka) investigates a ritualistic murder at a refugee camp whose inhabitants refuse to connect to The Head. His investigation leads him to Rana (Noomi Rapace), a mysterious woman with unusual abilities, and soon his marriage and sense of identity begin to fall apart. Murder, infidelity, a powerful AI, and a detective struggling to tell what’s real. There’s enough here for an intriguing science-fiction thriller. Unfortunately, Smoczynska seems determined to explore every possible idea, even at the story’s expense.

When Creativity Becomes Overwhelming

Originality certainly isn’t Hot Spot’s problem. The director creates a world where practically anything can happen, particularly once the psychedelic visions begin. What starts with unsettling hallucinations soon develops into disturbing transformations, with characters giving in to their animal instincts. Quite literally. It’s imaginative, but you begin to wonder what these bizarre developments add to the story.

As the hallucinations become more extreme, Djonny’s investigation gets harder to follow. He goes from one strange encounter to another, and it becomes increasingly difficult to tell what’s real and what isn’t. Instead of making the mystery more interesting, all these bizarre transformations eventually become exhausting. After a while, even the strangest visions stop being surprising.

The film’s dystopian setting, however, is one of its stronger points. Empty landscapes and rundown buildings give you a good sense of a world where natural resources are running out. The cinematography also shows how much technology has changed the way people interact. It’s strange to see people so close together without speaking, and perhaps a little too easy to imagine in a world that’s becoming increasingly dependent on technology.

The psychedelic sequences stand in stark contrast to those bleak surroundings. Sudden bursts of colour make the early hallucinations unsettling, especially when faces and bodies change in disturbing ways. Rather than bringing us closer to Djonny’s unstable state of mind, the constant visual experimentation makes it harder to connect with him.

Leather, Rock Music And Psychedelic Nightmares

Then there are the costumes, which are almost as unusual as the hallucinations. Djonny’s leather outfits make him look less like a detective investigating a murder and more like Alexander Skarsgård in Pillion. It’s an unexpected look, although hardly the strangest thing you’ll see in Hot Spot.

One of the film’s most entertaining moments sees Djonny arriving on a motorbike to Europe’s “The Final Countdown”. Between the dramatic entrance, leather outfit, and instantly recognisable song, it’s wonderfully ridiculous. The music gives the scene a playful, over-the-top energy that works surprisingly well with Konopka’s appearance. Unlike many of the film’s more extravagant moments, it doesn’t need additional visual tricks to make an impression.

A bizarre dance sequence also reminded me of Gaspar Noé’s Climax. Both films use upbeat music and bizarre dancing, but Climax does it much more effectively. In Hot Spot, so much madness has already happened that the dancing scene doesn’t have quite the same effect. By that point, it’s just another strange moment in a film already full of them.

An Intriguing Premise That Deserves More Attention

Konopka (Good Home) fully commits to Djonny’s unpredictable behaviour, but the constant changes make him hard to connect with. Rapace (Constellation) brings an intriguing presence to Rana, although she gets far too little room to develop. Both actors embrace the unusual material, but the screenplay doesn’t give them enough to work with.

The biggest disappointment with Hot Spot is that the story has so much potential. A world where people give up their freedom for food, water and shelter is already an interesting idea, especially when AI can monitor their every thought. The way society is controlled echoes The Hunger Games, while technology’s influence on people’s lives recalls The Assessment. The film could have explored questions about privacy, freedom and human connection. Instead, it gets distracted by increasingly strange developments.

The murder investigation also gets lost along the way. At first, it’s an interesting part of the story, especially with the refugee camp and those who refuse to live under The Head’s control. But as Djonny gets caught up in bizarre hallucinations and transformations, solving the murder becomes less important.

By the final stretch, Hot Spot has become almost as exhausting as the world it depicts. Smoczynska’s imagination is undeniable, and the production design, committed performances and occasional musical highlights show what the film could have been. Unfortunately, those strengths get buried beneath an overcrowded story more interested in introducing another bizarre idea than developing the ones it already has.

Hot Spot is part of the BFI London Film Festival, courtesy of Focus Features.