FILM -- Viral

Thanks to directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (Paranormal Activity 3 & Paranormal Activity 4) comes the infectious horror Viral! Is Viral worth spreading? Read on to find out!

In Viral we meet the Drakeford sisters, Emma and Stacey, who have just moved to the town of Shadow Canyons. Their father recently relocated the family there for a fresh start, due to his infidelities. This issue from the past puts strain on the family, mainly with Stacey. Stacey becomes the rebellious teenager who dyes her hair blue, dates a jerk-off, and lobs witty insults at her dad no matter how helpful he is trying to be. On the other hand, Emma is very reserved and unsure of herself.

Things quickly escalate when in’s discovered that there is a “worm flu” going around. Its origin is not known. Emma’s friend Gracie who is only in the film for like 4.5 minutes, is one of a few who is infected with this worm flu. After the outbreak is discovered, the town goes into full chaos mode.

Emma and Stacey’s dad is called by their mom to pick her up from the airport. After their dad leaves, the town is in fully locked down as the worm flu is mutating and becoming a pandemic. Although their dad begged the two girls not to leave home, the two have raging teenage hormones, so of course they leave! Emma and Stacey go to a party and unfortunately Stacey becomes infected.

The first hour of Viral is pretty entertaining, however it’s a little too predictable at times. As the viewer you know exactly what’s going to happen despite your high hopes for something more different. The actors all did a great job although no one stood out more than Linzie Gray who played Gracie. It’s unfortunate that she had such a small role because the film actually could have benefited from more of her character on screen. Emma was mildly irritating due to the bad decisions she repeatedly made. Although both sisters are likable, their chemistry isn’t there.

Viral is an entertaining, infection horror film with awesome cinematography and a pretty cool story line. I found Emma’s good friend Gracie, who was only in the film for a total 5 minutes, to be more interesting than the actual leads. Emma just seemed plain, unappealing, and a typical weak character in the beginning of the film. You know the I’ll-gain-my-strength-at-the-very-end kind of character. The ending of the film isn’t particularly satisfying, perhaps there is a plan for a sequel.

Overall, I recommend Viral because it’s fun and there's nothing wrong with good ol' fun! The pace starts off slow but there’s a pretty cool build up.


2½ out 5 queen skulls!
Still not sure if you want to watch VIRAL? Check out the trailer below!