Film Review: Antiviral

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Young director Brandon Cronenberg clearly has no problem following in his father, David's footsteps. Not only into the world of directing but into the genre of body horror. Antiviral was released at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard category which honours films seen as different and groundbreaking, certainly a moniker that fits this film.

The bleeding lips

Syd March (Caleb Landry Jones) works for the Lucas Clinic that sells viruses and other pathogens to customers that have been taken from celebrities, customers pay good money to feel closer to the celebs they adore by sharing the same illnesses. Syd also steals some of the viruses to sell on the black market himself to earn extra cash on the side but is in trouble when he releases the virus he has has killed a famous celebrity.

The opening act presents an interesting idea before us and takes a satirical swipe at the culture of celebrity that has gripped the media over the last decade. To here it is taken to extremes but the constant coverage on any TV or newspaper that is passed in the film is more akin to the reality we are moving towards. Whether people would genuinely want to make themselves ill just because a celebrity has been ill is another question and surely only the mentally unstable would sign up for this. After this though the film becomes tedious as it disappears off on a strange tangent and becomes gratuitous in its imagery.

Syd March (Caleb Landry Jones)

Brandon Cronenberg presents a cold clinical look at the world of celebrity obsession, although often strays too far from his original point. Most of the set pieces are clinically white and minimalist which is mirrored by the characters as their concern for one another is very minimal as well. The problem is that none of the characters are developed to the point that you take an interest in them and their wellbeing so it makes the final third rather redundant. If the excessive vomiting of blood doesn't make you feel queasy then the shaky camerawork that follows mostly certainly will.

2/4 Interesting premise is clinical and becomes laboured