A terrible pandemic is at the center of the story of Viral, the horror film directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the directors of Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) e Paranormal Activity 4 (2012). Viral fits into the thick list of pandemic films that has encompassed so many zombie movies in recent years, and in which Joost and Shulman's work stands out for its beauty and distinctiveness. Like walking dead, the infected in Viral represent an expanding plague on the city and the world.
At times seemingly harmless, stuck in groups, they are reminiscent of the zombies from Land of the Dead by George A. Romero or the mutants in I am legend (2007). Their ferocity and freneticism, on the other hand, brings to mind the rabidly 28 Days Later but also The alien (The Hidden) from 1987, at the time when the parasite manifests itself. The group infestation, with the organism simultaneously attaching itself to several hosts as it escapes the girl's body, on the other hand, has all the air of being an homage to The thing by John Carpenter.
Viral guards a broad soul that embraces the cornerstones of the genre. Nevertheless, the film is able to convey that aura of authenticity that makes it unique.
Plot: An epidemic breaks out in America triggered by a strange parasite that resides in the blood and infests the host's body. The speed with which the infected increase triggers a quarantine. Drakeford family members remain separated, and teenage sisters Emma (Sofia Black-D'Elia) and Stacey (Analeigh Tipton) barricade themselves in their homes to escape the contagion.
Viral sheds light on a tense story in which the talented lead actresses (Sofia Black-D'Elia and Analeigh Tipton) take on family tensions and then bow to the terror unleashed by the pandemic. In Viral, the fear of contagion in fact is a constant theme, capable of creating a sense of oppression corroborated by an electronic soundtrack (by Rob Simonsen) that is always symbiotic with the mood of the film.
The screenplay of Viral Is by Barbara Marshall and Christopher Landon.
The cast includes Sofia Black-D'Elia, Analeigh Tipton, John Cothran, Travis Tope,Michael Kelly, Brianne Howey, Judyann Elder and Brendon Eggertsen.
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Viral è featured in the Midnight Factory catalog in both DVD and Blu-ray limited edition. As always, the not-to-be-missed editions (always accompanied by an exclusive booklet) from Midnight Factory are meticulously curated in both packaging and audio and video formats.
The DVD edition, with hardback slipcase, contains the amaray with interior artwork. The special contents include the film trailer. Very comprehensive is the booklet that collects the review of the film and some trivia about its development.
DVD Edition:
Duration: 89 min.
Format: Limited edition, PAL, widescreen
Audio: Italian (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles: English, Italian
Extras: Trailer
