Deranged Bloody Horror On Shudder Will Destroy You With Unreal Violence Beyond R-Rated

The Sadness is a Taiwanese movie which was written, directed, and even edited by Canadian filmmaker Rob Jabbaz. At this time, the movie is Jabbaz’s only feature film in his catalogue, though fans of The Sadness are surely awaiting his next project with nervous excitement.

Before crafting this psychological deep dive into the post-COVID world, Jabbaz primarily worked on self-taught animations, helming such short films as Fiendish Funnies, Great Daena: A Fateful Encounter, and Clearwater.

The narrative of The Sadness begins in the centrally-located city of Taipei, Taiwan, where medical experts have warned that the so-called ‘Alvin virus’ is poised to sweep the nation. While many citizens and government officials refuse to acknowledge Alvin as an impending threat, people all over the island nation soon fall victim to an array of horrific symptoms.

Those who catch the airborne virus become infected with an insatiable rage, which causes them to lurch into their base impulses, resulting in a massive wave of violent eruptions across the nation.

The Sadness is primarily shown through the perspective of a young couple, Jim and Kat, as they start their day on opposite sides of town. Kat takes the train into work, just as several people on board the vessel begin to come down with a nasty case of the Alvin virus, causing pandemonium throughout the train car.

Elsewhere, Jim is attacked by a mob of Alvin carriers in the street, who take him on an exciting and terrifying chase across town.

As the couple struggles to find one another and reach safety, they face numerous threats from infected individuals all over the city, making The Sadness some kind of cross between a slasher, a zombie movie, and a chilling look into the state of the world during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Rob Jabbaz has made no secret that The Sadness is a powerful social critique of the public’s behavior during the pandemic, as well as the general apathy of governments around the world. In the years since the pandemic has ended, I don’t think I’ve seen a more visceral and apt film regarding the topic.

GFR SCORE

Audiences and critics alike gave The Sadness glowing reviews when it first premiered, resulting in the film carrying an 89 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes today. Still, the movie is not for the faint of heart, and will definitely make your stomach churn. If ever there were a film in desperate need of a 5-page trigger warning, it’s this one.

If you’re interested in checking out The Sadness, the film can be streamed on Shudder and AMC+ today.