I’m not a fan of modern horror for a number of reason, but mostly for the over reliance on jump scares and focusing on unlikable main characters. How am I supposed to be invested in our survivors if they are all douche bags? Oh, and the fact that so many teen horror stories have casts of people in the mid thirties. Viral looks to play on many of these same tired motifs, but you slowly realize that what was produced here is something far better than it has any right to be. The only real downfall is that this didn’t get a wider theatrical release while other, far less well written and acted horror films do.
What makes Viral really work is the pulled from the headlines approach to its fear. The film very early on draws from science to explain how something like this parasite involved can exist and spread. Sure, it does stretch things with the speed and intensity of the parasite, but it’s grounded enough to be believable. The acting is left mostly to a group of high school students in a small town that actually seem the part. As the parasite spread things quickly go to shit with our protagonists left to themselves under lock down without any outside help.
Viral comes from the producers of The Purge, The Visit and Insidious and those influences can be seen throughout the film. While not a jump acre fest Viral does a good job of building tension as it progresses. The pacing is fast, but this helps to keep the audience on edge as the little we learn about whats going on is through the characters. But Viral is more than a horror story, instead being a tale of two sisters from very different walks of life put into a precarious position. No one is safe from the spread of the virus and it will test the bounds of sisterhood to its very limits.
Viral works because it doesn’t fall into the trap of modern horror. It has characters that are decent people who you want to root for. They aren’t idiots by any means when dealing with problems after they realize what’s going on and while it does have jump scares, the movie isn’t built around them. That being said the use of the parasite is an interesting one, but I felt it does come off a bit over the top in how it changes and enhances the few people we see. I would have preferred a more psychological take on it with a “less is more” approach, but it still works. In many ways Viral reminds me a lot of The Last of Us video game which itself was a refreshing take on the horror genre. The film also just, well, ends and seemed like they ran short on budget to tell a complete story clocking in at only 85 minutes.
Still, Viral is a solid horror film mainly because it focuses more on the characters and their interpersonal relationships than it does the parasite that is taking over the town. There are parts where tension is high and wondering how they are going to survive becomes nerve racking, and during the slower moments the film does a fair job of character building. The cinematography is also well handled and the film, while having this filter over it (let’s stop with this already) looks good. Viral is by no means a great film or one that even pushes the horror genre, but it does enough right that it is worth picking up or checking out.
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