Antiviral (2012)

In a blackly satirical near future, a thriving industry sells celebrity illnesses to their obsessed fans. Employee Syd March's attempts to exploit the system backfire when they involve him in a potentially deadly mystery.

Director:

Brandon Cronenberg

Writer:

Brandon Cronenberg (screenplay)

Stars:

Caleb Landry Jones, Lisa Berry, Sarah Gadon

4 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Caleb Landry Jones	...	Syd March
Sarah Gadon	...	Hannah Geist
Lisa Berry	...	Lucas Clinic Receptionist
Douglas Smith	...	Edward Porris
Nenna Abuwa	...	Aria Noble
Donna Goodhand	...	Woman in Waiting Room
Adam Bogen	...	Lucas Clinic Security Guard
Salvatore Antonio	...	Topp
Matt Watts	...	Mercer
Dawn Greenhalgh	...	Jane
Katie Bergin	...	Talk Show Host
Nicholas Campbell	...	Dorian
Lara Jean Chorostecki	...	Michelle
Reid Morgan	...	Derek Lessing
Elitsa Bako	...	Vera

Storyline

Syd March is an employee at a clinic that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to obsessed fans. Biological communion - for a price. Syd also supplies illegal samples of these viruses to piracy groups, smuggling them from the clinic in his own body. When he becomes infected with the disease that kills super sensation Hannah Geist, Syd becomes a target for collectors and rabid fans. He must unravel the mystery surrounding her death before he suffers the same fate.

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Plot Keywords:

looking at oneself in a mirror | foreskin | underwear | facial recognition | facial recognition software | 

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Taglines:

Inject some celebrity into your life.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Canada France

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 2013 (France)

Also Known As:

Antivirus

Filming Locations:

Bel-Air Grill, 673 Barton Street East, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 3,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance,TF1 International,Téléfilm Canada

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During production, Sarah Gadon and Caleb Landry Jones both decided not to meet or rehearse prior to the filming of the hotel room scene where Syd takes a sample of Hannah Geist's blood. They both felt it would help preserve the separation of the characters within the story.

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Goofs

When Syd injects himself, he taps on his arm, like one would do when they are trying to make a vein pop out. He doesn't inject into a vein, so tapping on his arm is pointless and does absolutely nothing.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lucas Clinic Receptionist: [on the phone] Yes. Yes. Wonderful, I'll transfer you to booking.
[to visitor]
Lucas Clinic Receptionist: Can I help you?
Edward Porris: Edward Porris. I have an appointment.
Lucas Clinic Receptionist: Porris...
[hands him a clipboard]
Lucas Clinic Receptionist: Just have a seat.

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Connections

Featured in Film '72: Episode dated 29 January 2013 (2013)

User Reviews

Unpleasant black comedy doesn't have much to offer

ANTIVIRAL is the debut film from Brandon Cronenberg, son of famous Canadian filmmaker David. Cronenberg writes and directs this bleak tale of a futuristic world in which the obsession for fame and celebrity sees a company actually bottling up and selling celebrity illness to obnoxious fans. The main character is a young sicko who attempts to make a buck or two on the black market but who finds himself in a very serious situation as a result.

I have to say that I didn't care for this film at all. As a black comedy it's pretty sick and the humour feels rather forced and unpleasant; it's not the sort of thing I'd find funny. It's a gory effort with an emphasis on body horror which is odd given that in an interview I saw Cronenberg say he has no real interest in the horror genre; perhaps that's why this film feels so half-hearted as a result.

The main character is a repulsive creep and the supporting cast of self-obsessed celebrities is even worse. The plot feels rather aimless, going from obvious digs at celebrity culture to viral outbreaks and illness, and it never really gels. The clinical look of the thing is overdone and over-obvious. In the end, it's the low budget and lack of coherence that makes ANTIVIRAL a chore to sit through.