Zombie movies (and I'm including movies about aggressive infections like 28 days later (2002) and sadness (2021) also under that umbrella term, generally share more than a few strands of horror movie DNA. They introduce the protagonists, plunge them into a growing nightmare of undead/infected masses, and leave us wondering how they will survive the murderous, flesh-eating madness that surrounds them. The new French outbreak thriller mads However, it takes a slightly different tact, and does so under the illusion of a single, increasingly chaotic take.
Roman (Milton Riche) is a flawed teenager, from his drug use to his infidelity, but it's his attempt to help a stranger that could ultimately be his downfall. A bleeding, bandaged, and clearly distraught woman gets into his car and, before they can get to the hospital, throws crimson liquid in his face and stabs herself to death. In shock and too immature to handle the situation, Romain tries to continue with his nightly plans, but soon behaves erratically and violently. And unfortunately for everyone involved, he also manages to pass something wet to one of his friends.
mads offers an initially bleak, real-time look at the beginning of a nightmare, and although its one-shot presentation (a handful of shots, stitched together well enough to make it seem like an eighty-six-minute journey) will be considered a gimmick by some. , is an incredibly effective way to capture the infectious spread, growing chaos, and ultimate frenzy to come. Initial pacing aside, this is a film that takes an almost slow-burn approach from the start as we follow Romain and others moving through houses, neighborhoods, and more. Still, you wouldn't call it downtime as the silence is filled with tension, both in what the characters know and what the viewers know, meaning that even a simple bike ride is met with clenched fists.
Where mads It differs from most films of its type in its set of chapters. Instead of focusing on one main character, or even several at once, the real-time focus sees the camera's gaze moving between Romain, his girlfriend Anais (Laura Pavy), and their mutual friend, Julia (Lucille Guillaume). In theory, it should lessen our attachment to each of them given our limited screen time. In reality, however, all three give terrific performances as young men watch their futures fade away in an aggressive cloud of fear, confusion, and blood. Guillaume is tremendously good at expressing his understandably high degree of fear, anger and confusion, while Pavy surprises with a turn that becomes equal parts animalistic, playful and terrifying.
Director of photography Felipe LozanoThe camera is equally important here, capturing not only moments of terror and panic, but also the constant flow of time. We move forward in time and space, and there's a near-seamless connection as his camera fixates on characters walking between houses, biking through quiet, moonlit suburbs, driving down quiet roads, fleeing the sound of gnashing teeth. and laughter. The calm moments become shorter, the pulse begins to accelerate and we witness the beginning of the end.
Director David Moreau keeps the energy under control, dishing out violence, scares and mayhem at an ever-increasing pace before all hell breaks loose in the third act. There are minimal jump scares here, favoring a mix of crackling tension and violent release, and while we know the horror has gone beyond the lens, Moreau wisely keeps these three in focus. The terror becomes more intimate, more personal and more powerful. Very brief asides involving those responsible for the outbreak interrupt our trio at times, and while these beats feel iffy in their execution, they're never enough to derail the momentum.
Moreau made his mark on the genre as co-director and co-writer of 2006's terrifying home invasion, chiller, Thembefore diving into Hollywood with his horror remake. the eye (2008) and then came out again with much lighter fare back home in France. madsSo it's their return to the genre after six years, and it's a reunion that should leave horror fans far from upset, as it offers a fresh, energetic and terrifying take on blast horror. Now let's hope we don't have to wait another six years to see his next cinematic nightmare.