The defence The Arthouse Gremlin
“Its refusal to behave is the point.”
The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.
Back to trending 
The Viral Factor
Action · Crime · Thriller · 2012
Agent Jon contemplates leaving the force until he learns his brother is working as a mercenary for a former colleague who betrayed their team.
Movie details
The Viral Factor
2012 Action · Crime · Thriller 2h 2m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
5.8 / 10
Community rating
Agent Jon contemplates leaving the force until he learns his brother is working as a mercenary for a former colleague who betrayed their team.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Viral Factor?
For the defence
The Arthouse Gremlin
“The stranger, the better.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
The Bodyguard
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Police Story: Lockdown
Action · 2013
A man looking for the release of a long-time prisoner takes a police officer, his daughter, and a group of strangers hostage.
McQ
Action · 1974
Police Lieutenant Lon McQ investigates the killing of his best friend and uncovers corrupt elements of the police department dealing in confiscated drugs.
They Call Me Mister Tibbs!
Drama · 1970
A police detective's investigation of a prostitute's murder points to his best friend.
The Locksmith
Thriller · 2023
A thief fresh out of prison, tries to work his way back into the life of his daughter and ex-fiancé. Determined, he is forced to use the skills he has as a gifted locksmith. Things take a tumultuous turn after an unexpected disappearance.
Kidnapping Mr. Heineken
Drama · 2015
The true story of the kidnapping of Freddy Heineken, the grandson of the founder of the Heineken brewery, and his driver. They were released after a ransom of 35 million Dutch guilders was paid.
Desert Dawn
Action · 2025
A newly appointed small-town sheriff and his begrudging deputy get tangled up in a web of lies and corruption involving shady businessmen and the cartel while investigating the murder of a mysterious woman.
The Substitute
Action · 1996
When an inner-city Miami schoolteacher gets her knee broken after standing up to the school's gang leader, her mercenary combat specialist boyfriend goes undercover as a substitute teacher to take down the punk. Soon he discovers a conspiracy of criminals at work, and must reassemble his team from his last jungle raid to stop them.
I Am All Girls
Drama · 2021
A special crimes investigator forms an unlikely bond with a serial killer to bring down a global child sex trafficking syndicate.
In Too Deep
Drama · 1999
Drug lord Dwayne Gittens rules Cincinnati with an iron fist. No wonder he's known as "God" on the streets. Determined to break Gittens' stranglehold on the city is undercover cop Jeffrey Cole. But as Cole takes on an assumed identity to penetrate Gittens' criminal empire, he makes a disturbing discovery -- he kind of likes being a gangster.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Dante Lam Chiu-yin
Written by
Candy Leung Fung-ying · Jack Ng Wai-lun · Dante Lam Chiu-yin
Jay Chou
Jon
Nicholas Tse Ting-fung
Man Yeung
Lin Peng
Rachel
Michelle Bai
Ice
Andy On Chi-kit
Sean
Liu Kai-chi
Man Tin
Carl Ng Ka-lung
Ross
Court is in session
Put The Viral Factor on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Oddness is not depth.”
A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.