Eradication (2022), directed by Daniel Byers, is a tightly-wound post-apocalyptic sci-fi horror film that blends elements of viral outbreak fiction with psychological paranoia. With its minimalist cast and eerie, claustrophobic setting, the film delivers a unique take on the infected-genre trope, where the real danger isn’t just the virus—it’s the breakdown of trust, memory, and identity.
The story follows David, one of the last infected survivors of a deadly pandemic that has wiped out much of the population. Confined to a remote cabin in the woods, David is monitored by his wife through a video feed, receiving daily instructions and supplies from a mysterious organization promising a cure. He believes he’s part of a vital research mission—until transmissions go silent, and he begins to experience strange gaps in memory and growing suspicion about what’s truly happening outside.
Eradication plays with isolation and unreliable perception in a style reminiscent of The Thing or Pontypool, relying on tension, slow revelations, and an unsettling atmosphere rather than big-budget spectacle. The cinematography captures both the beauty and bleakness of nature—a serene forest becomes a place of paranoia, silence, and dread. Harry Aspinwall’s performance as David is intense and nuanced, effectively carrying much of the film’s weight.
Thematically, Eradication explores survival under control, the fragility of identity, and the moral ambiguity of medical experimentation. It asks: What happens when the only person you can rely on is no longer yourself? The film subtly critiques institutional power, questioning the nature of authority and consent in times of crisis.
Though it had a limited release, Eradication has become something of a cult favorite among indie sci-fi horror fans. Its stripped-down, pandemic-era aesthetic resonates deeply in a post-COVID world—where themes of quarantine, misinformation, and mistrust are all too real.
A potential sequel, Eradication: Rebirth, could explore the world beyond the cabin—years after the virus has been "eradicated." A new society has formed under strict bio-authoritarian rule, using implanted identity chips and genetic scans to monitor all citizens. But when a strange signal is traced back to David—long presumed dead—a rogue scientist discovers that he may have evolved with the virus, not against it.
Now hunted by a paramilitary health force, David must confront the truth: is he humanity’s last mistake, or its next step? Meanwhile, survivors begin exhibiting strange mental synchronizations and shared dreams, hinting at a viral consciousness waiting to reawaken.
The sequel could expand the world while maintaining the psychological and ethical tension of the original—bridging body horror with speculative biotech and dystopian control.
Eradication (2022) is a smart, haunting film that does a lot with very little, asking deep questions through the lens of sci-fi horror. It reminds us that sometimes, the scariest infections aren’t physical—but psychological.
