The Overlook: Viral

(imdb.com)

Recently, I wrapped up a list of best outbreak horror films. Mostly hefty in subject matter and rarely easy on the eyes, the movies listed included pandemics like the ones seen in Contagion and 28 Days Later. In fact, finding a pandemic horror movie that is suspenseful and scary, but still has air to it, is difficult, Movies like Cabin Fever 2 may provide some form of this but these are typically too cheesy and foolish to matter, which is why finding Viral on Netflix is pretty great. Serious, but ultimately easy to engage with, Viral is a teen horror film that works.

Viral follows two sisters, played by Analeigh Tipton (Project Almanac) and Sofia Black D'Elia (Warm Bodies), who must face an oncoming pandemic without their parents. D'Elia's Sofia is the more serious, level-headed of the two and Tipton's Stacey is reckless, often choosing her boyfriend, played by Machine Gun Kelly (Nerve), over safety, Each of the three are particularly effective at conveying the young spirit of negligence, even if at times they try to take the outbreak seriously. A party scene in particular, fully captures this immature essence as even Sofia, breaks and decides to participate in the evening's events.


With the exception of the name "Stacy" joltingly called out one too many times early in the film, the film is pretty heartfelt and entertaining. The characters are all strong in their choices and work effectively off of one another. The movie's last scenes where one of them contracts the sickness are effectively moving and never cheap or over-the-top and its short runtime definitely ensures that the audience won’t be too bored.

Viral probably won't impress diehard horror fans, but it is in no way as bad as some of the industry's most annoying teen horror movies. Whereas movies like Ouija and The Bye Bye Man strongly adhere to a middle ground; incapable of truly scary moments in a dedication not to fans, but instead to making money, it's clear that Viral wasn't afraid to take chances. Viral is effective because it draws on tropes but never allows those to supplement for story.

Viral is a pretty great low-stakes pandemic film; its lightning- fast pace making it a speedy, but suspenseful watch. The film benefits greatly by feeding on and then overcoming the typical hallmarks of teen horror; dumb decisions, a pair of snarky sisters, a dumb boyfriend and no parents in sight, all work in tandem to create an atmosphere that's youthful and buoyant, providing a typically unseen point of view for outbreak films.