With a spectacular horror pedigree, Viral is the latest horror thriller to come from Blumhouse. With a deadly infection causing violence and mass panic, and a group of teens fighting for their lives, Viral is perfect Halloween viewing from the people who terrified you with Paranormal Activity, The Purge and Sinister.

Directors
Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Paranormal Activity 3 and 4, Nerve)

Writer
Christopher Landon (Paranormal Activity 2 to 4, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones)

Cast
Sofia Black D’Elia (Project Almanac, Ben-Hur)
Analeigh Tipton (Lucy, Crazy, Stupid, Love)
Travis Tope (Independence Day: Resurgence)
Michael Kelly (House of Cards, Everest)
Machine Gun Kelly (Nerve)

Following the outbreak of a parasitic virus that wipes out the majority of the human population, Emma and her sister Stacey find themselves separated from their parents as it reaches their neighbourhood. Quarantined with no connections to her family, Emma, with the help of her love interest Evan, fights to protect her infected sister and for her own survival.

The weight of the horror credentials behind Viral are seriously impressive. You’ve got producer Jason Blum and his Blumhouse productions once again working with writer Christopher Landon, who penned the Paranormal Activity sequels, and directing duo Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, best known for their gripping documentary Catfish and, more recently, the thrilling and chilling Nerve.

This combination of talent can only be a good thing if what you’re looking for is a good dose of suspense and terror just in time for Halloween - and Viral delivers in spades.

Deftly blending horror, sci-fi and thriller elements, Viral puts its fresh young cast, including Sofia Black D’Elia and Analeigh Tipton, through the ringer from the get-go as they witness their school friends seemingly dying in front of them before returning as crazed, violent creatures intent on spreading their virus as far as they can.

But this isn’t your typical teen horror film, instead delivering smart dialogue, great performances (Black D’Elia and Tipton both excel in their roles and reveal themselves as ones to seriously watch) and some intense scares.