'Virus: 32' (2022)

Every month, I forget that I have a Shudder subscription until the money goes out of my account and then I suddenly remember. A creature of habit, that's what I am ;o) Once I remember, I frantically start looking for something to watch, just so I can convince myself that I haven't wasted five quid again. And last night? After I'd seen the money leave my account, I saw 'Virus: 32' and figured I'd give it a go. And I'm glad I did, it might even jog my memory about watching more stuff that's on Shudder (no, that would be going too far...)

A rapidly spreading virus transforms people into intelligent, ultra-violent, extra-fast psychopaths who want to kill anything that's not like them. After each wave of attack, these monsters are left incapacitated for 32 seconds while they recover their strength. What can you do in 32 seconds if you want to survive? Security guard Iris and her daughter are about to find out. Can they make it through the night...?

I wasn't expecting too much from 'Virus: 32' when I sat down to watch it last night. At the very most, I was expecting 'yet another' zombie film that would hopefully stop me falling asleep too early (occupational hazard here). I certainly wasn't expecting to be sat there, all hunched up and scared, hoping that whatever was lurking nearby hadn't seen Iris and that the infected guy wouldn't get the cat (one of those things did happen...) You know what? I did though...

'Virus: 32' is one of those films that lets you think that you're settling down to watch in your own time... And then grabs you by the throat and runs off with you to places that are pretty dark but well worth sticking with. The stakes don't get much higher than a mother looking for her child and the sports club that she has to do it in is appropriately dark and claustrophobic as well as being full of the infected. The end result is a fast paced film that that creeped me right out. Turns out that was all I needed last night, I don't ask for much ;o)

If all the chasing wasn't enough, there are the moments (well, half moments) where there are literally seconds until the infected lash out again. What a way to hold your attention (and your breath), I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. Especially that bit with the baby... You might want to consider not watching this film if you've recently had a baby, that's all I'll say. That and 'bloody hell'.

As good as this all was (and it was), if the escape was all there was to the movie, it would be a little too straightforward for my tastes. It's a good job then that the film likes to give us little glimpses into how these aren't just any old 'zombies' (I mean, they're not zombies anyway but you know what I mean) and that there are signs that the infected are not working by themselves. There is an intelligence at work that not only opens up new possibilities for the infected but is also great at getting you back into the film at just the right time. I didn't even play on my phone during 'Virus: 32', that's how much I was into it. And it's all wrapped around a really touching story of redemption (for Iris) that really caught me when I wasn't expecting it. I'll be honest, I wasn't too sure about the ending but in mitigation, 'Virus: 32' is a film deliberately designed to be all about the journey rather than the destination, I'm happy with that.

'Virus: 32' ended up being the 'surprise film' that I had no idea I wanted to see until I sat down and watched it. It was brilliant, did everything that it needed to with no fuss or bother. It's on 'Shudder' now and here's the trailer if you fancy a look...