COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - "ANTIVIRAL" (SEVERIN FILMS 4K UHD)
A filmmaker's first feature is a terrifying and exhilarating moment, and in some ways can make or break whatever comes next, but not always. From Ari Aster to Eli Roth, there is no shortage of success stories about folks whose first feature propels them into the stratosphere of horror legend where they either sink or swim. The only advantage one has is when their family name has a history in “the biz” and as such can help open doors more easily, with the heavy burden of expectation weighing down on them. Brandon Cronenberg, the progeny of David Cronenberg, is a filmmaker who grew up on movie sets and carved his own path while working in the same sub-genre as his father. His first film, “Antiviral,” has been given the deluxe treatment from the folks over at Severin Films alongside a brand-new 4K UHD scan, and it’s time we revisit the feature that made the career for one of horror’s most recognizable surname
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
In a blackly satirical near future, a thriving industry sells celebrity illnesses to their obsessed fans. Employee Syd March's attempts to exploit the system backfire when they involve him in a potentially deadly mystery.
HOW IS IT?
The Cronenberg gene must have body horror bound to the double helix of their DNA because Brandon followed so closely in the footsteps of his father (so far) that his first film feels like it could’ve come from Cronenberg senior himself, and even feels like a precursor to David’s “Crimes of the Future.” By most accounts, “Antiviral” is a great first feature. Hell, one could even say it’s Brandon’s best film to date, but everyone is going to have a preference and an opinion in that regard. Taking a bit of dystopian future, social commentary, neo-noir, and some dark satire “Antiviral” does a lot with a little and leans heavily on a stellar lead performance from Caleb Landry Jones buoyed by a supporting cast of familiars and unfamiliars working in tandem to bring this strange tale of celebrity obsession and the erosion of privacy to life on screen.
In the not-so-distant future, although we don’t know when or where celebrity obsession has gone from tabloids to medical procedures where companies aim to harvest diseases from infected famous people and sell them to fans looking to become closer to those they fawn over. Syd March (Jones) is one of the top salespeople at the leading disease firm who also dabbles in the black market sale and distribution of copyrighted diseases as a side hustle. In this future, the news is constantly honing in on the lives and intimate details of society's most well-known figures, with the current obsession being one Hannah Geist (Sarah Gadon) who has been struck with a rare and exotic disease that is going to end her life. The world “Antiviral” inhabits is one where there is no such thing as privacy for famous people, and deals are stuck with agents and managers over biological data rather than endorsements or ads. It’s an interesting idea and one that becomes increasingly more grotesque as we see just how specific this kind of harvesting is. Skin cells are used to make edible steaks that are purchased at what look like butcher shops, but instead of animals, it’s pictures of your favorite famous people and the opportunity to literally take a piece of them home and eat it. It’s a lot to take in, and “Antiviral” doesn’t ease you into this situation so much as it drops you in there with a thud. In “Antiviral,” there is no shame in this behavior as it is expected and endorsed by everyone. Hell, the entire economy seems to operate around this industry, and as the story goes on we see to what lengths competitors will go to get fans and their money closer than ever to these people on a pedestal. It’s a dark future, but we are locked into it because of how convincingly the world on display is even if it feels foreign.
The performances in “Antiviral” are what sell this reality more than anything, and at the center of this is Jones whose Syd March is your classic neo-noir antihero with gray morals and fealty only to themselves and the almighty dollar. Jones plays Syd as someone who feels disgust from those he sells to, but at the same time is complicit in the industry in such a way that makes his situation quite oxymoronic. The cast around Syd, from the obsessive Dr. Abendroth (Malcolm McDowell) to the black-market butcher Arvid (Joe Pingue) everyone is in some way either a buyer, seller, or both of this new kind of medical bastardry. “Antiviral” doesn’t have a clear thesis statement, and maybe it doesn’t need one, but it does beg some questions about how we ended up like this and what, if any opposition exists to it. Like so many of the Cronenberg clan films, there is no hope in this kind of future and the ending is a crescendo of absurdity that is well-earned and extremely nihilistic. If there’s one critique we could make it’s that we want to spend more time understanding this world and its origins, so that we have a greater appreciation for the how and why of this cultural shift. To that end, unlike “Possessor” or “Infinity Pool” the meaning is less obtuse and ambiguous, which for us makes this play out and age far better than his latter films, but as we said at the start, it’s a matter of preference not objective better or worse.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
As is always the case with Severin, extreme care was taken with this new restoration and scan which includes scanning the original 35mm protection internegative for the 4K disc with the supervision of Cronenberg and Cinematographer Karim Hussain. The film looks great in 4K and doesn’t feel overly glossy, which is a risk considering how many bright whites there are in the film. There is a gritty clean aesthetic here that feels uplifted by the use of film stock as opposed to digital, and Severin has taken great care to deliver the best possible visual quality for this film which includes a Dolby Vision and HDR10. Images from this release are used throughout this review.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Two different audio mixes are included in this release, the first is a DTS-HD 2.0 and a DTS-HD 5.1 surround sound mix. We chose the latter for our review and it is a solid mix all-around that never favors one thing over another and is well-balanced amongst the chaotic and the quiet scenes throughout. It doesn’t use the rear channels as much as it could, but it’s a small gripe for what is otherwise a great mix.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
It’s fitting, but often rare that a debut feature such as this gets such a lavish edition, but Severin continues to demonstrate the importance of ensuring that films like these get the respect and features they deserve. “Antiviral” is more proof that Severin is still one of the best in the business, and the first feature we took in was Anatomy of a Virus, a 29-minute making-of featurette that is an archival feature from the film’s inaugural physical media release. This is one of the better “Making-of” features in that it interviews a lot of the cast and crew rather than just a few to give a broader perspective of experience on set. Of course, Brandon discusses how this was adapted from his college short, and the producers talk about seeing it play and immediately wanting to give him the chance to expand upon it. A heavy point of discussion is Landry-Jones, who many on the production side thought looked too young, but were so impressed with his audition that they felt it was worth the risk. McDowell is also featured here, and he exclaims that he loves to work with first-time directors and will often actively seek them out for his projects. We are going to take him at his word here, considering he has and continues to appear in a lot of genre films to date.
The second feature we reviewed was something that folks who purchase the 3-disc Limited Edition will get as a bonus disc in the Cannes Cut, but here the two deleted scenes from that cut are included separately with and without commentary from Cronenberg and Hussain. Even at just above 5 minutes, it is understandable why these were cut as they distract from the film’s focus some, but at the same time, they expand the world that Cronenberg imagined in interesting ways while also giving some weight to the social commentary around how celebrity obsession has become a shortcut to fame, while also expanding upon the economic role that these diseases have on wealth. While the commentary confirms much of what we describe, it is interesting to hear from both about the reasons for the removal and their assessment that it was the right thing to do. A full list of special features included in this release are listed below:
Bonus Materials
Disc 1: 4K UHD (Theatrical Cut + Special Features)
Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Brandon Cronenberg And Director Of Photography Karim Hussain
Trailer\
Disc 2: Blu-ray (Theatrical Cut + Special Features)
Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Brandon Cronenberg And Director Of Photography Karim Hussain
BROKEN TULIPS – Short Film Written And Directed By Brandon Cronenberg
Anatomy Of A Virus – Making-Of Featurette
Reviving A Dead Cell – Brandon Cronenberg And Karim Hussain Discuss The Restoration
Brandon Cronenberg: A First-Time Director's Vision
Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary By Brandon Cronenberg And Karim Hussain
First Meeting – With Actors Caleb Landry Jones And Sarah Gadon
The Design Of ANTIVIRAL – Interview With Production Designer Arvinder Greywal
Manufacturing Celebrity – EPK With Cast And Crew
Trailer
Disc 3: Blu-ray (Cannes Cut + Special Feature)
Introduction To The Cannes Cut By Writer/Director Brandon Cronenberg And Director Of Photography Karim Hussain
FLIR P660 Thermal Camera Test
Exclusive Booklet By Claire Donner Of The Miskatonic Institute Of Horror Studies *
*This is an additional disc and booklet available with the limited edition release which is still available from Severin but was not included as part of our review
LAST RITES
“Antiviral” is one of the best debut features out there, and arguably Brandon Cronenberg’s most complete and direct film that pays homage to his namesake while carving out a unique path for himself and his brand of storytelling. Severin, as per usual, delivers one of the most complete packages fans could ask for with an A/V transfer that breathes new life into a cold and dark film. A must-own for all fans of body horror.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at Severin for providing a review copy for the crypt! Antiviral is available NOW and can be purchased via Severin Direct!
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