I’m a J-horror super fan, but it’s a rarity for me to come across a film that doesn’t involve ghosts or curses. Infection (or Kansen in its native Japan) is a story about a run-down hospital whose night crew is unfortunate enough to encounter an entity seemingly not of this earth.
In every hospital, there’s an immense caution against spreading sickness between patients and staff. Tie that in with an accidental murder subplot, and we’ve got the recipe for distrust that resembles The Thing. As a mysterious green goo slowly infects the doctors and nurses, they’re forced to fend for themselves or become victim to both their subconscious thoughts and the substance originating from the newest patient.
In a way, Infection reminds me of the real-life death of Gloria Ramirez and the creepypasta “The Expressionless.” In both stories, doctors and nurses are baffled by patients coming in with obscure symptoms that result in one or more deaths. The beginning of Infection mirrors Gloria Ramirez’s case with staff becoming incapacitated just being near the patient, while the rest of the film takes on the horror and confusion of The Expressionless. When all’s said and done, we’re looking back and wondering what all was really going on, getting no real answers.
But it’s not just the plot that’s interesting, it’s the effects and “gore.” Infection isn’t really a bloody movie, but it does involve a heavy amount of body fluids and body horror. As staff become infected, they change into green goo-dripping maniacs that can’t resist the urge to share their agony with others, spreading the disease as quickly and covertly as possible. Of course, there’s no real-life equivalent to whatever it is they’re infected with, but in a time of extreme caution against an infectious pandemic, we can all relate to the fear the characters must feel in the film. Body horror always has a way of getting under your skin, so to speak.
Infection isn’t without its faults though, and some may find the ending a bit of a cop-out (SPOILER: it is implied that the whole thing was a hallucination by one of the doctors who then went on a murder spree through the hospital). I believe the tale of a supernatural or extraterrestrial entity taking over a hospital The Blob-style was strong enough to stand on its own, but when a certain trope is so prevalent in other movies of the time, it’s hard not to include it — we do have to think about ratings and box office numbers too.
That aside, Infection was a treat in both change of pace (from the usual ghosts) and storyline. Yet it feels like it still fits in with the usual stories you’d see in Japanese films around that time. It’s probably a combination of suspense and second-guessing that makes you want to know more, while simultaneously revolting you with its gross-out moments.
Do you like body horror? Let us know in the comments!
