’32 seconds to live or die’
Virus: 32 is a 2022 Argentinian-Uruguian horror film set in a sports club where a mother must protect her daughter from zombies.
Directed by Gustavo Hernández (You Shall Not Sleep; Local God; The Silent House) from a screenplay written by Juma Fodde, based on a story by Fodde and Hernández, the Mother Superior Films-Ignacio García Cucucovich production stars Malena Sanchez (Alma Pura; Luciferina), Esteban Lamothe (Kryptonite) and Sofía González.
Plot synopsis:
The events in Virus: 32 are contained mostly to a large single location – the Neptuno Sports Club in Montevideo – and take place over the course of a day and night as a mother must protect her daughter from zombie hunters. The infected pause for just 32 seconds after each attack…
Release:
Virus: 32 will be available to stream exclusively on Shudder on Wednesday April 21, 2022.
Our view:
Although it’s far from original in concept, recalling 28 Days Later (as does Hernán González’s excellent score), Virus: 32 has enough style and vibrancy to keep viewers interested. The focus on one location, a run-down health club, was probably required for budgetary reasons but Gustavo Hernández utilises it well. Green hues are contrasted with orange and redness to indicate danger which seems to lurk in every dark corner. The 32 seconds respite alluded to in the title is unique yet remains strangely underused in terms of the overall plot.
The fragmented alcoholic mother (Iris)-daughter (Tata) relationship that initially seems to be at the heart of the film shifts focus. And as the frenetic action swiftly develops it becomes obvious that it’s not just the infected to be feared. Virus: 32 is a decent entry into the overdone zombie sub-genre that is well worth a watch. Adrian J Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“Fear stalks the shadows and danger lurks around every corner. This is where Gustavo Hernández’s film excels. It doesn’t quite manage to carry it off though and the longer it goes on the more stretched the premise becomes. Feeling like a game adaption at times and the conceit is rather flimsy.” Backseat Mafia
“The movie is made from a small cast in a single location, yet the production feels bigger than it is. There’s a requisite amount of substance to the setup and to the characters so the plot doesn’t feel shortchanged and the script doesn’t seem skimpy even though the 89-minute runtime breezes by.” 70/100 Culture Crypt
“While it’s not quite as revolutionary as what came before it and has a nasty habit of being cruel for cruelty’s sake, it’s a genuinely frightening, pulse-pounding reminder of the zombie’s storied place in horror history.” 4/5 Dread Central
“The movie itself is relentlessly generic, but Hernandez, who’s known for the atmospheric single-shot horror film, The Silent House, has injected that level of creativity into Virus: 32, extending it beyond the easily recognizable recycled material that it is. I think there isn’t a whole lot we haven’t seen from zombie films at this point.” Horror Obsessive
“It had the potential to deliver some suitable kills and practical effects thanks to its makeup team (which did a fine job in the film). Albeit the movie holds back a little bit and shies away from pouring the buckets of crimson red onto the screen. Ultimately, Virus: 32 works in parts, not wholly, because there are segments where it achieves its true potential, and there are others in which it makes us question that stylistic or directorial decision.” Loud and Clear
“Fermin Torres’s sometimes creeping, sometimes soaring camera generates anticipation and dread in equal measure. Security footage — often a lazy gimmick in a horror movie — gets real purpose and style here. Likewise, the poorly lit passages, shadowy staircases and rooms reflecting leakage and rot create an atmosphere of decay that suits the effort.” 3.5/5 Maddwolf
Hernández gives us the idea that he will do the unexpected, and that it won’t be pretty. But that’s not exactly true, as this is a beautifully shot film — gloom, smoke, smoke bombs and shadows dominate the visual palette […] The 32-second thing provides one dandy suspenseful sequence.” 2.5/4 Movie Nation
” …a little too explicit in its influences, with a pregnancy subplot lifted straight from Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead and a soundtrack that owes a significant debt to John Murphy’s propulsive score for 28 Days Later. If it never lives up to its premise, it does at least provide the occasional well-executed, economical set-piece, and its unconventional heroine offers something different.” 3/5 The Movie Waffler
“Virus: 32 is another entry into an overdone niche that gets the job done through competent storytelling with an emphasis on trauma, monster terrors and hasty pacing that sprints ahead with berserker fierceness. It’s too familiar to be outstanding, but fulfilling enough as a reliable treat.” Paste
“We do not want to diminish other moments by saying that they’re textbook thriller/horror moments, because in the small number of films Hernández has made he has proven he is good at setting up moments for tension and pacing things properly. However, apart from some tried and true thrills and chills there are also times when you have to put two and two together.” Screen Anarchy
” …it shares many of the issues of other perfectly enjoyable zombie horrors, with some of the same unanswered questions, tolerable frustrations and budgetary constraints […] yet director Gustavo Hernández has managed a decent movie with some good composition, an intriguing, if underplayed idea, a likeable set of leads and a reasonable balance between homage and development.” Warped Perspective
Technical details:
1 hour 30 minutes
Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1
Notes:
We’re not sure why IMDb and some websites are referring to the film as Virus-32 because the onscreen title is clearly Virus: 32.
Trailer:
“The Infected” clip:
“I’ll be right back” clip:
“Tata?” clip:
