Anitviral

One of the biggest surprises about Antiviral is that legendary own-drummer David Cronenberg would have a son with a name as common as Brandon. The younger Cronenberg, though, follows in Dad’s macabre footsteps in his feature debut: In the not-too-distant future, a medical clinic injects fans with whatever illness has stricken their favorite star. It’s an incredibly dark take on our fascination with celebrities, but it’s not too far removed from reality. At the center of Antiviral is Sid (Caleb Landry Jones), a creepy clinic employee who, in an effort to make some cash on the side, injects himself with the mysterious virus that killed a beautiful movie star and attempts to develop a cure or immunity. Obviously, a safer strain would be big money. It’s an interesting premise and critique, but Antiviral is ultimately a little too methodical and unsatisfying for its own good.