The Sadness (Review)

Writer/ Director: Rob Jabbaz
Cast: Berant Zhu, Regina Lei, Ying-Ru Chen, Tzu-Chaing Wang, Emerson Tsai, Wai-Hua Lan
Year: 2021
Min: 99

In Taiwan, a young couple, Jim (Berant Zhu) and Kat (Regina Lei), have a minor argument about him working instead of going away with her as had been planned. On the TV news, a podcast is shown featuring Dr. Wong (Wei-Hua Lan), who warns that the current flu like Alvin virus is mutating and that the nation needs to quarantine. The host of said podcast scoffs at this stating that is all being done cause this is an election year. Before going to work Jim notices a blood covered old woman on a nearbay roof. Immediately there after, he talks to his neighbor Mr. Li (Ralf Chiu, here credited as Ralf Yen-Hslang Chiu) who thinks that the virus is a load of bullshit. 

But, of course, it ain't, and when Jim goes to a café all hell breaks loose. The old lady he saw on the roof viciously attacks the cook. Immediately after, bloody violence erupts. Meanwhile, on the train that Kat is on, murder and violence explodes as people begin to brutally attack and kill passengers Blood and viscera begins to fly, as a body count quickly rises. She helps a woman named Molly (Ying-Ru Chen) who has gotten stabbed in the eye. They both head to a hospital, and hope to be safe there. Kat tells Jim where she is. He heads to there to meetup with her, as they both try to survive the ever increasing acts of brutality and horrific violence that are happening around them. For you see, the virus is spreading quickly and creating more assaulting, murdering, and raping zombies.

The Sadness is a 2021 Taiwanese infected/ zombie/ hardcore splatter/ horror movie. It premiered in its homeland of Taiwan on January 22, 2021 and played a few festivals in the months that followed. The movie's extreme and boundary pushing ways quickly gained it a reputation, as gruesome and shocking. But, it has also been getting praise for the movie's inherit quality. 

Horror has always been indictive and responsive of the world around it. Look no further than the nuclear horror movies of the 1950's or the post 9/11 torture porn era. So then, it comes as no shock that the COVID pandemic era is seeing a rise (pun not intended) in infected horror, as also seen in the recent and well made Argentinian/ Uruguayan Virus-32 (currently streaming on Shudder). But, with The Sadness, we might have already hit our be all-end all of disease horror flicks.  

As would be expected the film is highly topical and its politics very contemporary. It's allegory to the corona virus and the attitudes of denial and political standings inherit with it are certainly blatant. But then, this movie is in your face in every fucking way. That its warranted and timely statements are all wrapped in a balls to the wall splatter movie reminds us that yes, you can make an extreme horror movie with something important to say. Its commentary is not just regulated to COVID, though, as one incredibly uncomfortable and realistic feeling scene involving a creepy businessman hitting on Kat showcases. 

One of the things that really makes the movie work are our two leads. Both Berant Zhu and Regina Lei, as Jim and Kat respectively, are an incredibly likable and believable couple. You care for them and want them to survive, even when it all feels nihilistic. As such, it really adds to the tension and fear that we feel watching them. It also helps that both give great performances. They come off as heroic, but still feel grounded, in a reality where no one suddenly becomes an unbelievable action hero. 

Writer/ director Ron Jabbaz makes his directorial debut with this movie and blows away some guys who have been behind the camera for fucking years. Right off the bat, this is one of the absolute finest and, certainly, most dangerous debuts in many moon. He gives us a very good looking movie, that is also savage in its intensity and extreme content. From the very first moment of violence committed onscreen, your jaw will drop to the floor.

In fact, if you leave with even one takeaway (even though I can't see this being only one), it will be that the ultra-gory, take no shit splatter movie is not dead! Unlike most recent gorefests, this one is dead serious. It isn't trying to be funny or hip. What humor is included is enough to break the intensity with some levity. Also, the flick doesn't bring its message through some pretentious "elevated" bullshit. What this flick is is a true balls to the walls, excellently made genre movie. The climax is powerful and harsh in both story and feel. We also get a totally kick ass death/ grind metal track named "Crying City" by Ashen, which serves as the icing on the bloody cake, ending everything perfectly.  

And, make no mistake, this motherfucker takes no prisoners. The infected in this movie don't simply run and kill. They can also talk, shoot weapons, and commit rape. As a matter of fact, there is a lot of rape, which may make this a disturbing viewing for some. The splatter FX are excellent, shocking, and realistic. They include arterial spraying, eye gougings, bodies hitting the pavement, finger chopping, fleshing munching, arm snapping, barb wire to the balls, stabbings, and more. A couple of set pieces really stand out among all the spattering blood and guts. One of them involving an infected neighbor and garden shears that made even this old gorehound wince! Another one has to be a stab to the aorta which leads to a geyser of blood hitting the train ceiling and passengers. This scene alone counts as the year's best and bloodiest kill. Scratch that. The whole goddamn train scene is easily the year's most horrific, bloody, and nightmarish moment! And, we get even more graphic shit happening after that! 

Look, I'm not gonna beat around the bush, The Sadness is the most uncompromising horror movie in a very, very long time. It's shocking, unmerciful, ultraviolent, and an easy 10 on the gore-meter. But, it isn't simply a mindless gorefest, as it also serves as a terrifying reflection of the post-COVID world in which we live in. The film is the definitive and final word on the infected zombie trope. It is also technically excellent. This is thanks to the strong directing, which gives it a great look, fast pacing, nail-biting tension, and a nihilistic feeling. On top of this, the acting is superb, especially from the two likable leads. That being said, it is most certainly not for the queasy or easily offended. Those with trigger warnings like rape and sexual harassment should definitely avoid as well. All other horror and splatter fans should take heed and jump right in, when the movie begins streaming exclusively on Shudder on May 12, 2022.

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Dead & Beautiful (Review)

Director: David Varbeek
Writers: David Varbeek, Hugh Travers
Cast: Gijs Bloom, Anna Marchenko, Aviis Zhong, Philip Juan, Yen Tsao
Year: 2021
Min: 98

A group of rich, spoiled, good-looking, young people take turns picking the next adventure or form of enjoyment that they will partake in. After their next hang out, they wake up and see that they have been turned into vampires. This begins to change the dynamic of not just their friendship and way they behave with each other, but also in the manner that they lead their regular lives. As they decide to seclude themselves, at least at first. As they slip further into vampirism, the question becomes how far will they go, what are they will to do, and how will it affect their relationship to each other.

Dead & Beautiful is a 2021 dramatic horror film from the Netherlands and Taiwan. Directed and co-written by David Varbeek, this movie offers some new rules to being a vampire. It achieves these goals with various degrees of success, though. But, at least it does it with a ton of style, making for a visually arresting viewing experience. 

You see from the get go, Varbeek gives us a truly beautiful looking movie. It's one that makes a great use of the film's widescreen aspect ratio, taking full advantage of all its scope. The cinematography is absolutely breathtaking. At times, though, this makes it comes off as a case of style over substance. 

Still, at the very least, it is too gorgeous a flick to ever be considered truly boring. This despite the fact that the pacing is very slow. The emphasis, you see, is more on drama than genre content. It isn't until the third act, that it finally gets going. Or at least, it seems that way, for every time it gets moving the story stops again losing any momentum that it has built up. 

While low on actual horror, there are some good genre moments. For example, there is one genuinely creepy part, as one of them stalks a pretty girl who he sees working at a store. There are also some moments of humor, a couple of which are wonderfully dark. Another highlight is a simply marvelous scene where they go to a club, which might be my favorite part in the entire movie. The script by Varbeek and Hugh Travers is actually pretty ingenious adding some nice twists and turns. All of this fits the story that is being told, but it might piss off some of the more closed minded genre fans watching. Take this as a fair warning to those like this. I, for one, really like the sure to be divisive ending, though.

Since this movie focuses on rich assholes, its hard to like any of the characters. In fact, there are moments where they come off as the worst people ever. This is at first, though. For, as the tale advances, and we get to know them better, most of them become more likable. This adds complexity to their characters which fall under shades of grey, as opposed to being purely good or simply shitty individuals. The acting that brings these characters to life is very good. Philip Juan as Bin-Ray is particularly enjoyable in his role, adding humor to the flick. He comes off as funny and fun, especially after his turn into a vampire. Also, there is definitely a deeper context of the morality or lack there of spoiled, rich young folk like our main characters. As well as how they do things without thinking or caring and the results that those actions might have. 

Dead & Beautiful is one of the most visually stunning movies of the year. It is filled with stylish, gorgeous shots and an equally beautiful cast. Aside from fitting the second half of the title, the cast also do a solid job with their characters, which are complex and not always the most likable. That being said, it suffers from its  very slow pace. Anytime the flick looks to be picking up speed, it stops in its tracks all over again. Regardless, the flick does makes for a sometimes interesting morality tale. The script also has some creative twists and turns and ends on a high note, though not everyone will feel that it does. The movie might displease those looking for more straight up horror, something this movie is low on. The more open minded should give it a look, though, which they will be able to when it starts streaming on Shudder on November 4, 2021. 

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The Reckoning (Review)

Director: Neil Marshall
Writers: Neil Marshall, Charlotte Kirk, Edward Evers-Swindell
Cast: Charlotte Kirk, Sean Pertwee, Steven Waddington, Joe Anderson, Suzanne Magowan, Ian Whyte
Year: 2020
Min: 110

1665 is "the year of the great plague", as the opening credits tell us. It is here that our story takes place. Grace Haverstock (Charlotte Kirk, who also co-wrote the script along with Edward Evers-Swindell and director Neil Marshall) has found that her husband has hung himself, after contracting the bubonic plague. When, the scummy landlord Squire Pendleton (Steven Waddington) comes to collect the rent, she pays him with her and her hubby's wedding rings. He tells her that are other ways to pay and tries to rape her. She rebukes him and fights back. Pissed off, he leaves and threatens that she will regret this.

The Squire, then, accuses Grace of witchcraft. She is taken and imprisoned, while he, himself, takes her little, baby girl away. An especially cruel witchfinder, John Moorcroft (Sean Pertwee), (who coincidently burned Grace's mom at the stake, when Grace was but a child) is in charge of her trial and torture. Accompanying him in his sadistic ways is his horribly scarred companion, Ursula (Suzanne Magowan). Meanwhile, Grace is haunted by dreams in which Satan (Ian Whyte), himself, wants and tempts her. But, regardless, she won't be broken by the witchfinder and give him the confession she wants. Instead, all she wishes to have her daughter safe and back with her. But first, she must first find a way to escape. 

The Reckoning is a British dramatic/ adventure/ horror film from genre master Neil (Dog Soldiers, The Descent, Game of Thrones) Marshall, who directed and co-wrote it. It is a movie in the vein of films like Witchfinder General and Mark of the Devil. Except, that it has that added action influence that Marshall is so good at. It played a couple of festivals last year and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on April 6, 2021. It makes it exclusive streaming debut on Shudder on May 13, 2021.

This movie really sucks you in, pretty much from the beginning, and even more so once the plot really unfolds. Thanks to Marshall's directing, this is a beautiful looking movie, with a somber start. The dark, grey and rainy parts play in sharp contrast to the bright and happy flashbacks of Grace and her husband, during the start of the film. The scene of his hanging is an early and strong, emotional hit. There is a heavy feeling for much of the film, particularly during the torture scenes. And, while, those aren't super explicit, they do rock you hard enough to elicit the intended reaction.  

With that being said, all the shit that you'll see our heroine go through, really makes the pay off in the climax worth it. And, boy, is it ever awesome! The action scenes from there are on in are thrilling, exciting, and bloody. Marshall also manages to add lot of suspense and white knuckle intensity to what is happening. My fists where clenched and my heart was in my throat, as I watched these scenes unfurl. All the while, cheering for Grace to succeed and make the bad guys pay. The movie also has a gorgeous score by Christopher (Creepshow the series) Drake, which comes off as powerful, tragic, and evocative. And, I fucking loved it! 

The movie only lost me a bit during its cheap dream scenes and unnecessary jump scares. These moments are when Satan keeps visiting and haunting Grace. He wants to screw and tempt her to turn to him. But, to me these parts serve only to slow the movie down and feel overdone. To be honest, though, this is the only complaint I have of this otherwise, very well done film. 

Within the movie, we do get a sex scene with some nudity. I mention this mostly, because moments like this are almost non-existent in film nowadays. Aside, from being easy on the eyes, it serves as a believable and tender proof of Grace and her husband's love. Here is hoping that this marks a return of sex in movies. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we get strong violence and gore. Among the mayhem is torture, immolation, whipping, bloody squibs, decapitation, and a superlative head crushing. 

The inherit sexism of the time plays an obviously major role in this movie's themes and plot. It is at the heart of the film and a major motivation for our heroine. That isn't the only statement this flick makes. This is evident from the movie's prologue, where a woman is pulled away from her family by officials. It reminded me about cases and events from recent times. It felt like an allusion to police brutality and of ICE separating families. So, that despite the flick's historical context, its message actually feels very contemporary. 

The acting is excellent from the whole cast. Steven Waddington's Squire is a detestable, scummy, asshole, who you will absolutely loathe. Also, worthy of your hate is Sean Pertwee's John Moorcroft. As the film's witchfinder, I wanted so badly for someone to kick the shit out of him. Both main antagonists, as such are very well portrayed by their respective actors. But, this is, ultimately Charlotte Kirk's movie. She is a breathtaking beauty, whose flawless acting is one of the year's most heart wrenching performances, as well as one of its best protagonists.

The Reckoning is a powerful and exciting dramatic horror movie with some rousing moments of action. The climax, in particular, will have you the edge of your seat. The acting is superlative, giving life to detestable villains and great heroes. Still, it is Kirk's Grace that truly shines. She is my favorite hero in a 2021 release, so far. Some graphic gore and well handled torture scenes help add to the flick's intensity. In all, it is the best witchfinder movie since Stuart Gordon take on Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. 

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