The Viral Factor (2012): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2012, The Viral Factor is an action, thriller and drama film directed by Dante Lam, running about 122 minutes.

What it’s about. International Security Affairs agent Jon is on a dangerous mission to escort a criminal scientist to another country. En route, a member of his team turns out to be a traitor and shoots Jon in the head while kidnapping the scientist. When Jon wakes up in the hospital, a doctor tells him that within weeks, the bullet in his brain will cause complete paralysis. Jon returns to Beijing to see his mother, who confesses that Jon has a brother in Malaysia who was raised by his father, a gambler. Jon takes a flight to Malaysia to find his brother, Yeung. On the plane he forms a bond with Dr. Kan, who promises to look into possible treatments for his condition. However, when they arrive, Yeung tries to kidnap the doctor and when Jon intervenes, he's also taken hostage. The two soon realize they're brothers, and decide to work together in order to keep the criminals behind the kidnappings from reinfecting the world of a disease long thought cured.

Who’s in it. The Viral Factor stars Jay Chou as Wan Fei / Jon, Nicholas Tse as Wan Yang / Yeung, Andy On as Sean Wong and Bai Bing as Ice, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.9/10, The Viral Factor has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Viral Factor page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Viral Factor tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.