Heather Roberts

Viral Horror: Host and the Fear of Infection During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction

Viral horror: host and the fear of infection during the covid-19 pandemic. Explore Rob Savage's "Host" (2020) and its analogy of COVID-19 infection fears to a Zoom paranormal haunting. A cautionary tale advocating quarantine protocols during the pandemic.

Abstract

The COVID-19 global pandemic foregrounded anxieties about bodies, particularly the infection, suffering, and death of the body. As a body genre, horror is especially adept at addressing these anxieties by affecting the spectator’s body through the exhibition and torture of the body on screen (Clover 189). This article examines references to the COVID-19 pandemic in Rob Savage’s Host (2020), which analogizes pandemic anxieties about infection to a paranormal haunting of a séance held over Zoom. Associations between the demon as both a computer virus and a stand-in for the COVID-19 virus not only trouble the “safe” methods of online communication that became quotidian during lockdown periods, but also replicate images of infected and dead bodies that pervaded digital channels throughout the pandemic. For the viewer, the film’s horror stems from the overlap between fiction and reality, as well as reliving the powerlessness that characterized digital witnessing while being in lockdown. Overall, the film advocates for quarantine protocols, using the young friend group as a cautionary tale to suggest that in spite of the inadequacies and terrors that arise from life during lockdown, it is best to stay at home.

Review

This article presents a timely and incisive analysis of Rob Savage’s *Host* (2020), effectively positioning the film as a potent cultural artifact reflecting the profound anxieties engendered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The author adeptly frames horror as a "body genre," underscoring its unique capacity to engage with universal fears surrounding infection, suffering, and mortality. By examining how *Host* skillfully analogizes pandemic anxieties to a paranormal haunting conducted over Zoom, the article provides a compelling interpretation of the film’s resonance and its ability to tap into the collective consciousness of a world grappling with unprecedented health crises and enforced isolation. A significant strength of this analysis lies in its meticulous unpacking of how *Host* blurs the boundaries between its fictional narrative and the lived realities of the pandemic. The article insightfully argues that the film's demonic entity functions as a multi-layered metaphor, representing both a computer virus and a stand-in for the COVID-19 pathogen. This dual representation not only questions the perceived safety of digital communication, which became a lifeline during lockdowns, but also powerfully replicates the pervasive, often traumatic, imagery of infected and deceased bodies that dominated digital channels. The discussion on the viewer's experience of powerlessness and "digital witnessing," stemming from this unsettling overlap of fiction and reality, is particularly well-articulated, capturing the emotional landscape of the pandemic era. The article concludes persuasively by interpreting *Host* as a cautionary tale that advocates for quarantine protocols, a reading that deeply aligns with the film's narrative trajectory and its ultimate message. While the analysis comprehensively covers the film's thematic depth and emotional impact, a brief consideration of *Host*'s unique meta-textual positioning—as a film produced *during* lockdown *about* lockdown and digital interaction—could further enrich its cultural significance. Additionally, situating *Host* within the broader context of the "screenlife" subgenre or found-footage horror might offer further contextualization for its innovative formal approach to pandemic-era anxieties. Nevertheless, this piece offers a robust and insightful contribution to both horror studies and pandemic-era cultural critique, making a compelling case for *Host*'s enduring relevance.

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