20131208: Horror Review--Antiviral

Antiviral

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. Canadian live action feature length film, 2012, rated R, horror, science fiction.
2. IMDB: 5.6/10.0 from 5,462 audience ratings.  Estimated budget 3.2 million CAD, aspect 1.85
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 65% on the meter; 41% liked it from 4,293 audience ratings.
4. Netflix: 2.8/5.0 from 92,618 audience ratings.
5. Written and directed by: Brandon Cronenberg.
6. Starring: Caleb Landry Jones as Syd March, Sara Gadon as Hannah Geist, Joe Pingue as Arvid, James Cade as Levine, Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Abendroth.


2. Setup and Plot
1. Edward Porris reports to a clinic to get infected with the same disease that celebrity Hannah Geist has.  Syd is his handler and the protagonist of the film.  He reassures people to keep going with their stated choices.


2. Syd is also a part of the celebrity meat market.  Cells from celebrities are used to reproduce (in relatively large quantities) muscle tissue that is sold as steaks and the like. Arvid is his contact in the meat sales.


3. Syd gets a new sample from Hannah Geist, and gives it to himself.  He's knocked out for a while.  When he wakes up, Hannah is dead, and Syd was one of the last people to see her alive.  Arvid would like Syd to give him a sample of this, since Arvid could make a huge profit on it.  Syd claims not to have any knowledge of what killed her.


4. Everyone is up in arms about Hannah's passing, especially at the Lucas Clinic, the company where Syd works.  Syd stays ill, and consults with Arvid, who takes him to Levine.  Levine forcibly takes a sample of the Hannah Geist pathogens.  Syd tries to escape, but he is way too weak.  They dump him on the street later.  Nice.  Thugs from another group kidnap him.  They take him to Dr. Abendroth, who has come from Germany to do an autopsy on Hannah.  First, though, the doctor wishes to see what is happening with the living specimen, Syd.


5. Doctor Abendroth tells him that the virus he has was designed to deflect diagnosis, but that he had gotten around the viruses protections.  Hannah is still alive, but further along in the disease.  They talk.  Hannah's family has traced the disease back to Lucas Clinic, and hope that Syd will find out who at Lucas designed it.  Syd has to retrace his steps, this time with an entirely different purpose.


6. Something sinister is afoot.  Will Syd be able to help Hannah?  Will he survive the effort?


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary: Future horror thriller: diseases are big business, lucrative crime, and silent weapons.
2. Four stars of five.


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 8/10 Bad in a few spots (jerky camera and the like), but mostly fine quality.


2. Sound: 10/10 No problems.


3. Acting: 8/10 Much better than I expected.  Caleb Landry Jones and Malcolm McDowell were quite good.


4. Screenplay: 8/10 Good story, well developed in the narration of deep corruption.