The Sadness
Directed by Rob Jabbaz – Taiwan 2021
PLOT
Taipei, an ordinary morning. A couple is getting ready to start their day and go about their usual tasks, unaware of what’s unfolding around them. Soon, however, they realize that everything is gradually changing: a mysterious and deadly virus is turning the country’s population into insane killers.
It becomes a race against time for them to reunite and survive, but they quickly understand that with each passing moment, their chances of survival are dwindling, thanks to the obstacles they encounter along the way.
REVIEW
This adrenaline-packed virus movie borrows heavily from genre classics (especially in its genesis and development, it closely resembles *28 Days Later* and its sequel).
In recent years, Asian horror cinema has earned considerable credibility within the zombie and infection subgenre.
Titles like Train to Busan, Alive, and the recent series All of Us Are Dead, although each with their unique characteristics, have revitalized a genre that at times seemed worn out and unsure of its direction.
The Sadness forcefully inserts itself into this trend, not so much for its conventional script, but thanks to its modern, frantic direction, impressive special effects, moments of intense disgust, and the shocking impact of its splatter and gore explosions.
The “monsters” that populate the film are much more infected than zombies: they talk, reason, and move normally, coordinating both in running and walking. They also use objects and weapons to attack their prey.
They are also equipped with a decidedly dark humor reminiscent of the pivotal moments in Raimi’s films.
Those affected by this virus quickly mutate, both in appearance (their eyes turn black and a malicious grin forms on their faces) and in character (they develop homicidal, sexual, and violent instincts).
Recommended for fans of modern catastrophe movies.
In its hour and a half, The Sadness doesn’t hold back on details and wastes no time with introductory explanations: it immediately grabs the viewer and bombards them with infected people, gallons of blood, and viscera.
PANDEMONIUM MOMENT
The young Kat’s return journey home on the subway, where a massacre erupts, marking the beginning of her worst nightmare: the businessman who will relentlessly pursue her to kill her.
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