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Antiviral
2012 110 min Canada 18+
★6.0
Science Fiction, Horror
Director: Brandon Cronenberg
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
Syd March is employed at a clinic that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to obsessed fans. 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.
Budget:
$3.5M
Worldwide:
$123,407
Starring
Caleb Landry Jones
Actor
Lisa Berry
Actor
Sarah Gadon
Actor
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 2012
— Un Certain Regard
Key opinion
Antiviral is a visually striking, sterile, and grotesque debut that explores the dark intersection of celebrity worship and biological consumerism. While polarizing in its narrative execution, it is widely praised for its bold art-house aesthetic and unsettling, visceral atmosphere.
| Acting | Caleb Landry Jones delivers a haunting and physically transfixing performance that anchors the film's cold, surreal environment. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography is masterfully sterile, utilizing high-contrast color palettes and precise, symmetrical framing to emphasize the film's clinical horror. | |
| Theme | The film succeeds as a poignant, satirical critique of modern celebrity commodification and the dangerous fanaticism inherent in idol worship. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative structure is divisive: proponents find the slow-burn, abstract delivery immersive, while detractors feel the plot prioritizes style over substance and lacks emotional resolution. |