American Virus (Short)
I wanted to ask, “What the fuck did I just watch?” after the 5-minutes of Shane Ryan’s “American Virus” had ended. Then, I thought back on another short of his I watched last year, “Guerilla,” and I had my answer. Co-written with Kathryn Eastwood, Ryan’s “American Virus” chronicles the beginning of an outbreak of a deadly virus in the United States. Thought quarantined, some people have unleashed it, and we see a viral video being made by one of the people, a woman (Eastwood), responsible that leads to bloodshed. I brought up “Guerilla” because like that film, Ryan’s “American Virus” feels like a story pitch, and sizzle reel, for a bigger film rather than a completed film. That said, like that film, Ryan’s exceptional use of style to enhance the substance is pretty great. I’m kind of enamored with the way he brings exploitation style and tone to his films, even if I don’t really care for the film, as a whole. I can’t put “American Virus” on the same level as “Guerilla,” however, because a) the story and style are more well-worn right now, and b) this feels like the beginning of the film, and doesn’t feel like an A-B-C story progression like “Guerilla” did; that film had all the beats you would want from a story- this one is just the hook. I’m curious as to what I can expect from him next.
