The Sadness

Title: The Sadness
Director: Rob Jabbaz
Released: 2021
Starring: Regina Lee, Berant Zhu, Tzu-Chiang Wang, Ralf Chiu, Wei-Hua Lan, Ying-Ru Chen

Plot: The city of Taipei erupts into chaos when a mutated strain of the Alvin Virus causes people to embrace their darkest impulses.

Review: Another example of a western film maker heading to the east to get their films made following the example of Gareth Evans who made the Raid movies in Indonesia but this is of course no new thing seeing how Roger Corman was making films in the Philippines back in the 70’s and here director Rob Jabbaz drawing inspiration from the Garth Ennis comic book Crossed and funded by his producers cam girl business and cryptocurrency makes full effect of the Taiwan cityscape and mountainous surrounding countryside for the setting of his ultra violent outbreak movie. 

Set against the backdrop of an outbreak of the “Alvin” virus a situation which echoes our own outbreak memories with the medical experts and government officials at loggerheads over how to handle the outbreak while the general public believe its made up only for the virus to suddenly mutate into something much worse. The film follows Jim (Berant Zhu) and Kat (Regina Lee), a young couple trying to reunite as the world around them succumbs to the mutated and highly contagious version of the virus which turns the infected into homicidal sadists. 

Sold on it’s ultra-violence and gore the film certainly more than delivers which of course will be of much delight for the splatter fans and more so with Jabbaz utilising practical effects for 99% of the film which is certainly a refreshing change especially with CGI blood so present in modern horror and needless to say practical effects more than adds to the scenes of chaos as the virus tightens its hold on the city. Needless to say this is not a film for the squeamish as once the first attacks happen things quickly spiral out of control fast with the sufferers of the virus being free to carry out their darkest impulses as they engage in violent and sadistic acts for which Jabbaz really doesn’t hold back while the fact that the infected are still able to communicate only adds a more eerie edge than just being the mindless horde that zombies are. 

What helps the film stand out from being another film like The Human Centipede or low rent shock trash like Hanger or Slaughtered Vomit Dolls (Yes it is an actual film) is that Jabbaz takes the time to develop the individual journeys of Kat and Jim across the city even if thier personal story is alittle thin rather than focusing on how to get to the next gory set piece. At the same time we get to see how the city is being affected by the virus from frenzied and bloody mobs on the street to a government official who issues his threats of violence over the city tannoy. We also get characters such as the businessman (Tzu-Chiang Wang) who sits next to Kat on the subway lamenting about how sad that no one talks to each other anymore instead looking at their phones who we get to see take on a polar shift in personality once he contracts the virus turning into an axe wielding maniac with unsavoury plans for Kat who he stalks across the city. 

It’s unclear if Jabbaz was aiming for a deeper meaning as to what the outbreak represents as he peppers the film with hints of ideas such as the businessman remarking as Kat bludgeons him with a fire extinguisher that she is not unlike them while as the number of uninfected civilians plummet we see the infected finding a chaotic peace amongst themselves bringing to mind the finale of Shivers. No real confirmation is given as to how true this is while the finale which introduces a ethically questionable virologist only further questions who the real monsters are in this world, especially the lengths he is willing to go to find the cure.

Unquestionably a film which delivers on it’s promise of being one of the goriest movies ever made while at the same time providing that you can have a film which gives you splatter and an engaging plot. Sure it’s extreme moment will limit it’s audience but to the stronger stomached viewer its certainly a grotesque delight for zombie / outbreak fans.