Episode 119: Viral

The Undead Symphony

Send us a text

"Viral," a 2016 sci-fi thriller directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, follows the story of two sisters navigating a world consumed by a mysterious outbreak.
The film delves into the complexities of sisterhood against the backdrop of a viral epidemic that transforms humans into aggressive creatures. As the infection spreads, the sisters, played by Sofia Black-D'Elia, who is married to Joost, and Lio Tipton, struggle to survive and protect their bond.
Despite a lot of bad reviews I think the movie skillfully blends elements of horror, drama, and suspense, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. With its tense atmosphere and compelling character dynamics, "Viral" explores the human condition under extreme circumstances, making it an intriguing subject for a podcast discussion on themes of survival, family, and the unpredictable nature of infectious threats."
A lot of people slagged it off, but I felt once it had switched from being a high school outbreak drama to a survival horror movie it picked up, with half a dozen jump scares.
Was good seeing Dawn 2004's Michael Kelly and Sofia Black-D'Elia's Emma and Evan were great as the teen leads (despite being in their mid 20s).
Parasites are probably my least favourite cause of zombification after voodoo, but I needed to give this a go. Compared to most of the shit we see this was well acted, well filmed, well written, had some jump scares too. People moaned it was PG-13 but outside of more graphic gore I don't think you lost anything.
For me the 2016 Viral is a 6/10, a little above the IMDB of 5.5 and Rotten Tomatoes 53% but worth an easy watch.