Nerdly » HorRHIFFic 2025: ‘Virus Detected’ Review

02nd Mar2025

HorRHIFFic 2025: ‘Virus Detected’ Review

by Phil Wheat

Stars: Stacy Hart, Amber Doig-Thorne, Annabella Rich, Charlie Bond, James Hamer-Morton, Matthew Batte, Rose Granger, Dhean Morris, Andrew Spooner | Directed by Charlie Bond, James Hamer-Morton, Paul Cousins, Geoff Harmer, Chris Josty, James Morrissey, James Plumb, Samuel Rush

Virus Detected is a 2025 British horror anthology that delves into the sinister side of technology. The film is structured around a late-night radio show hosted by “Irritable Jo,” portrayed by Stacy Hart. During an intense electrical storm, Jo receives unsettling calls from a mysterious listener sharing eerie tales of electronic devices behaving malevolently. These narratives form the core of the anthology, each exploring a unique technological terror.

The anthology comprises several segments, each helmed by different directors: Mic Drop, is directed by Charlie Bond and James Hamer-Morton; Bad Penny comes from director Paul Cousins. Meanwhile, director Geoff Harmer helms Shock Jock and The Little Ones; and Chris Josty gives us the film’s first tale Virtual Insanity. Mad Science Films’ James Morrissey and James Plumb direct The Toy and LOVETOAST is helmed by director Samuel Rush.

Each director gives a different take on techno-horror, with each segment delivering its own distinct narrative, yet all are interconnected through the central theme of technology’s potential malevolence and all draw inspiration from various horror subgenres, ensuring not a moment of the film feels boring or similar to the next.

The anthology opens with a fun short tale, Virtual Insanity which sees a group of gamers gleefully killing each other in virtual reality until a power surge affects their gameplay. That’s followed by Geoff Harmer’s The Little Ones which, despite appearing in a techno-themed horror, actually draws inspiration from folk horror like The Wicker Man or Blood on Satan’s Claw.

The real highlight of the entire film though is The Toy, directed by James Morrissey and James Plumb. This short stands out with its darkly comedic take on a killer sex toy, inspired by 1980s cult sci-fi and horror films – think Chopping Mall with killer vibrators rather than security robots! It’s a hilarious and grotesque tale that somehow manages, even with THAT plot ends up having unexpected emotional depth – after all robots have feelings too, just ask Johnny 5.

In terms of the cast, there’s a lot of crossover from this year’s other Brit horror anthology, Video Shop Tales of Terror 2 – with appearances from Amber Doig-Thorne, Annabella Rich, Charlie Bond, and James Hamer-Morton, each of whom delivers their usual fantastic performances, and each of which enhances their respective segments greatly. The fact that Bond and Hamer-Morton also helm a segment – the FINAL segment – just tops everything off beautifully; even more so given how black-hearted their coda segment is.

One of the better anthology films to come our way in recent years, by focusing on the dark potentials of everyday technology, Virus Detected presents a chilling reflection on modern society’s technological dependence. Think Black Mirror on a budget! And I hope we get more anthologies of this calibre in future.