Film Review: 'Infection'

It was an average night for Moira (Meganne Kocher), apart from her wondering why her friend Mike has suddenly stopped responding to her texts. But after Mike suddenly breaks his silence by sending Moira a creepy picture, Moira's night takes a turn for the horrifying. Someone--or something--is coming for her, and won't stop until it gets what it came for. Will Moira make it through the night with her sanity--or her life?

Starting off, I must give writer/director/editor Michael Davis and the Creepypizza team credit for taking a chance on doing a creepypasta-inspired film. After the backlash that 2018's Slender Man received, part of me was thinking that creepypastas were now a subject matter horror filmmakers were avidly avoiding. As the above poster shows, Infection was inspired by the popular creepypasta Smile Dog. Having skimmed the story and seen that it's your average chain letter horror fare, Infection certainly goes the smart route in building off the story's basic premise to set itself apart from its inspiration. While the result is still far from a work of innovation, it makes for an entertaining thrill ride that's miles ahead of the last creepypasta-based short film I've reviewed.

Pace and style prove to be the biggest assets of Infection. Apart from the distractingly overwrought music that accompanies it, the opening does a good job of establishing the story and throwing us headfirst into the chaos. Infection only takes off running after that, giving the film a constant feeling of tension that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Aesthetic-wise, the movie makes great use of its found-footage style without getting too wild (aided by the fact that the film gives a legitimate justification to Moira carrying her phone for the entirety of her ordeal). Even the less-than-realistic glitching effects make for an interesting visual that parallels Infection's descent into bloodstained mayhem, and for a low-budget short film, the gore on display looks surprisingly authentic. The enthralling final act is marred by the abrupt and somewhat unsatisfying ending, but it doesn't take away from how attention-grabbing Infection is before that.

Another reason why Infection works so well lies in its lead performance. With Moira's face being unseen for so much of the film, her performer is put in the position of having to rely on her voice to convey Moira's emotions. Meganne Kocher is definitely up to the task, throwing herself into the emotional breakdown Moira's night of terror puts her through. Jessica McEvoy and Peter Joseph Lewis give memorably chilling vocal performances, as does Daniel Mecabe as the "Smile Dog" himself.

While Infection is far from original or perfect in terms of plot, the film is able to take its creepypasta roots and weave them into something fun to watch. The writing team behind Infection also deserves credit for how they treat their subject material. They take the basic premise of Smile Dog and build on what was already there to breathe a new life into the story. The deliberate ambiguity that comes along with these new additions also allows for some unspoken horror to emerge--which in turn provides some sequel potential for Infection.

Overall, Infection is the sort of film that works in spite of itself. Its creepypasta origins open it up to accusations of being "eleven years too late", and the story doesn't offer much that hasn't already been seen before--especially in the realm of online short horror films. But thanks to the combined efforts of its cast and behind-the-scenes crew, Infection makes for a fun slice of found-footage horror that keeps you wrapped up in its deranged goings-on. If you're a fan of found-footage or classic creepypasta stories, Infection has even more to offer in entertainment value. Click this link to check the movie out for yourself, and for maximum spookiness, I recommend watching with the lights out on a dark night. If you dare...

Score: 7 out of 10 flashlight apps.