MADS
(director/writer: David Moreau; cinematographer: Philip Lozano; music: Nathaniel Mechaly; cast: Lucille Guillaume (Julia), Milton Riche (Romaine), Laurie Pavy (Anais), Yovel Lewkowski (Noa), Sasha Rudakova (woman on te road), Vincent Pasdermadjian (The Dealer); Runtime: 88; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Yohan Baiada, Marlene Wale; Shudder; 2024-France-in French with English subtitles)
“A manic low-budget horror pic about a descent into madness.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
French director-writer David Moreau (“King”/”The Eye”) in an arbitrary one-take shoot, presents a manic low-budget horror pic about a descent into madness.
In the French suburbs, riding in his dad’s vintage Mustang, the privileged 18-year-old Romain (Milton Riche) while high from snorting some new party drug at his dealer’s (Vincent Pasdermadjian) place, stops on the roadside to clean his car of cigarette ashes and an unnamed and unable to speak unhinged bleeding woman (Sasha Rudakova), with a digital tape recorder identifying her as a test subject, jumps into his car. She’s nervously looking around to see if she’s being followed, while the kid decides to drive her to the hospital. She seems to be infected by something like a virus, and is banging her head on the dashboard and frantically stabbing herself. He instead drives back to his home to wash off the blood on him, but when he returns to the car she’s gone.
The kid then hooks up with his girlfriend Anais (Laurie Pavy) and then with her friend Julia (Lucille Guillaume), to attend a nearby house party. The trio don’t feel good, but the party goes on as they think maybe it’s only a bad trip.
The action is slickly shot on a hand-held camera by the DP Philip Lozano.
This is a stylish over substance film that’s not pleasant to watch even if its visuals are stunning.
The horror art film creates a scary tense mood and captures the party attititude at all costs of the privileged younger generation, and of their world unravelling even if they might not know it.
It’s a nice reminder of Night of the Living Dead, but with no visible zombies attacking.
It played at the Fantastic Fest.
REVIEWED ON 12/5/2024 GRADE: B-
dennisschwartzreviews.com