‘We strive to bring you closer to celebrity than ever before…’
Horror director Brandon Cronenberg has carved out a name for himself in the world of horror cinema aside from his lineage as the son of body horror enthusiast and icon, David Cronenberg. His last two films, 2023’s Infinity Pool and 2020’s Possessor, were both well-received – I enjoyed both of them (there is no higher honour for any budding filmmaker, I imagine), and so I went into Antiviral with high hopes. Those hopes, dear reader, were soon to be dashed…
In an alternative but sadly quite plausible present, Lucas Clinic purchases viruses and pathogens from celebrities and then sells them on to willing clients who are desperate to feel some kind of connection with their heroes. Syd March (Caleb Landry Jones) works at Lucas Clinic and steals the viruses by using his body as an incubator before selling them off on the black market. When he infects himself with a virus transmitted from famous celebrity Hannah Geist (Sarah Gadon), Syd becomes much more ill than usual and eventually passes out, only to discover that Geist has died of the illness, and so the value of all products harvested from her have skyrocketed. Unfortunately, Syd can’t break the virus’s copy protection, and so he has to turn to the black market. It’s a lot of plot. Too much, some said.
Antiviral boasts some truly beautiful cinematography, the heady mix of sterile white medical labs and crimson blood seeping from angry wounds is a visceral one, and typical of the Cronenberg oeuvre (both father and son), but the glacial pacing and lack of any kind of emotional warmth makes for a tough watch. Landry Jones has a reptilian intensity that is compelling but we don’t go on any kind of meaningful journey with the character, and eventually, I found my mind drifting as the film ambled to its conclusion.
It is clear from Antiviral that Cronenberg is a stylish and singular director, but his two subsequent films are much better examples of his work.
