Antiviral

107min

Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller

Syd March is an employee at a clinic that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to obsessed fans. ... Read More

If you haven't seen Sarah Gadon on the big screen lately, you're probably not a Cronenberg fan. She's starred in David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method" and "Cosmopolis," and now she takes the female lead in his son's debut film "Antiviral," which screened at this year's Toronto Film Festival.

Playing the god-like celebrity Hannah Geist, Gadon spends much of the film shrouded in glitzy mystery, appearing on posters and advertisements, but never being seen in real life. "Antiviral" is, in short, a gruesome exposition of our obsession with celebrity, and the lengths we'll go to in our fame-obsessed culture.

Moviefone caught up with Gadon at TIFF to talk about why she hesitated on taking this role, and how indebted she is to Cronenberg for giving her so many opportunities.

What made you want to play Hannah Geist initially?
Actually, I didn't have any inclination to play Hannah when I first read the screenplay. She spends the first half of the script as an image - and who can relate to an image? At least, that's what I thought when I read the script. When I went to talk to Brandon about essentially not doing the film ... I told him that I wasn't interested in portraying this fetishized image of a woman ... he said that he wanted to reveal the inner workings of that: why we do it, how we do it, and that process by which we create celebrity. That was much more interesting and exciting to me. I created a human, vulnerable interesting character behind that person, that image.

I'm so glad I decided to do this movie; the film is a beautiful discourse for this consumption of culture.

How were you with needles and blood before you shot "Antiviral"?
I'm cool! [Laughs] This is my third Cronenberg flick, so I'm good. I'm not very afraid of needles, but I also had a blindfold over my eyes most of the time, so it didn't really bother me. I love coughing up blood, though, that's really fun.

You keep on working with Cronenbergs. What do you think draws them to you?
I don't know, you'd have to ask them! [Laughs] No, it's really changed my career trajectory in a big way. It's great to be a working actor, and things have been non-stop lately. I'm totally indebted to David for the rest of my life. I've actually promised him several of my organs already.

Hannah Geist is very godlike in this film. Did you catch a glimpse of that first-hand working with megastar Robert Pattinson in "Cosmopolis"?
Not really, since most of our work was done in-studio. I didn't see too much of his fandemonium. When you work with any famous actor and you see the attention and scrutiny they're under, and what it does to them, it makes you appreciative of where you are in your own career. I function with a lot of anonymity still, and I'm able to not be bigger than the films I'm a part of. I still have mobility and freedom, so, if anything, it makes me stop and think.

Where can people see you next?
I just wrapped production on Denis Villeneuve's first English-language film, "An Enemy," with Jake Gyllenhaal and Melanie Laurent. Next, I'm shooting a film in London called "Belle" with Tom Felton. I think you'll be seeing a lot more of me -- at least I hope so! [Laughs]

"Antiviral" opens in select theatres in Canada on October 12.

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• 'Antiviral'

  Syd March is an employee at a clinic that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to obsessed fans. When he becomes infected with the disease that plagues superstar Hannah Geist, he must unravel the mystery surrounding her before he suffers the same fate.

• 'Stories We Tell'

  Sarah Polley is both filmmaker and detective as she investigates the secrets behind a family of storytellers. She playfully interrogates a cast of characters of varying reliability, eliciting refreshingly candid, yet mostly contradictory, answers to the same questions. She unravels the paradoxes to reveal the essence of family: a messy, intense and loving tangle of contradictions.

• 'Midnight's Children'

  At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, as India proclaims independence from Great Britain, two newborn babies are switched by a nurse in a Bombay hospital. Saleem Sinai, the illegitimate son of a poor Hindu woman, and Shiva, the offspring of wealthy Muslims, are fated to live the destiny meant for each other.

• 'Picture Day'

  Forced to repeat Grade 12, Claire's reputation is sliding from bad-ass to bad joke. At night, she escapes to would-be rock star Jim (aged 33), while at school, she bonds with Henry, a nerdy freshman she used to babysit. Eventually, Claire learns the difference between sex, intimacy and friendship.

• 'Still'

  Based on true events and boasting a veteran cast, Still is a heartfelt story about an 89-year-old New Brunswicker who faces jail time when the government tries to stop him from building a more suitable house for his wife, whose health is beginning to fade.

• 'I Declare War'

  A group of friends play an innocent game of Capture the Flag in the neighbourhood woods. One afternoon, the game takes on a more serious tone and the quest for victory pushes the boundaries of friendship.

• 'Inescapable'

  One afternoon, on a typical day at work, Adib is confronted with devastating news: His eldest daughter, Muna, has gone missing in Damascus. Now Adib, who has not been back in over 30 years, must return to Syria and deal with his secret past in order to find her.

• 'Laurence Anyways'

  In the 1990s, Laurence tells his girlfriend Fred that he wants to become a woman. In spite of the odds -- and in spite of each other -- they confront the prejudices of their friends, ignore the counsel of their families, and brave the phobias of the society they offend.

• 'Rebelle'

  Komona, a 14-year-old girl, tells her unborn child the story of how she became a child soldier. A tale set in Sub-Saharan Africa, Rebelle is also a love story between two young souls caught in a violent yet beautiful and magical world.