Dir. Brandon Cronenberg. 2012, 107 mins. DCP courtesy of IFC Films. With Caleb Landry Jones, Lisa Berry, Sarah Gadon, Malcolm McDowell. This striking and assured debut film by writer-director Brandon Cronenberg displays the influence of his father, David Cronenberg, while also introducing a unique new talent to the cinema scene. In a stark modern style, the young Cronenberg portrays a diseased world in which obsession with celebrity plagues the public’s minds—and bodies. By secretly harvesting live viruses from infected stars, the protagonist, Syd March, sells illnesses to celebrity-obsessed fans. Syd is unable to resist the contagious urge for “biological communion” when he comes into contact with his favorite starlet’s virus. He unknowingly infects himself with a terminal ailment and must act quickly to reverse the effects while combating the deadly illness, desperate fans, and unrelenting virus collectors. As film critic Peter Howell wrote, “Obviously influenced by his dad David's early work but also showing a strong personal style, Brandon Cronenberg's feature debut is a body-horror satire with a point—a needle point.”