MadS

"[Julia:] Tell me none of this is happening . . . [Unnamed:] Listen to me. This life no longer exists." The exchange, between the "Julia" and another (unnamed) character does as well as anything to highlight the predicament of "MadS." The insanity of a drug-induced night of partying has leveled-off to the insanity of the "new reality" that unfolds over the course of "MadS's" 1:29 "single-shot" running time.

To accomplish this feat, the director utilizes a technique found in such anthologies as "Southbound" (2015), which weave related stories together through the use of a succession of single characters that intersect at the periphery of each story. Thus, in succession, "MadS" has the viewer follow (and then leave) "Romain," "Anais" and, finally, "Julia." Our journey is through the course of a single night that begins at twilight with Romain scoring drugs for a birthday celebration with his girlfriend, Anais, and ends with Julia returning home for the evening.

In terms of the film's subject matter, comparison might be made to "Night of the Living Dead" (1968), "REC" (2005)or "28 Days Later" (2002), with the aforementioned caveat that "MadS" simulates a found-footage style "real time" telling in which the viewer is privy only to the experiences of one character at a time. For two-thirds of the running time, this directorial strategy does place us in the driver's seat as we, like Romain, and then Anais, are trying to separate the "high" from what is "really" happening.

Here, the cinematography and audio choices assist in reflecting the sheer craziness of what transpires (there is a wonderful scene where Romain, in an attempt to escape the noise and chaos of a party, puts on a Halloween-style rubber head mask. The audio suddenly muffles, as though we are now hearing the party through his (covered) ears.)

By the time we get to Julia's segment, however, we in a sense know as much or more than the characters and are simply waiting to see how things will end. In that sense, the conclusion of "MadS" is hardly innovative. I will avoid spoilers and simply note that the ending feels familiar to the genre.

Having said that, I will also say that "MadS" is the type of film you want to go into knowing as little as possible. Much of the ride does indeed feel "fresh."

Note: For those sensitive to strobe settings, there is a scene at the 34:00 minute mark that utilizes heavy strobe lighting.

This movie was without a doubt one of the best horror movies of the year, in my opinion. It is basically a non-stop action thrill ride within the first five minutes of the movie.

They claim that this movie was shot in one take, which as you know is impossible to do....but it does seem as if it is shot in one constant take.

The actors did an excellent job, I have never seen them in any movie before, but maybe they are more prominent in France. But bravo to the all.

If you take one thing away from the movie, that message is, don't do drugs kids. It can really mess you up and you never know what's in the drug you are taking.

9/10 - highly recommend it if you like action/horror movies.

One of the most overused horror tropes in movies is that of twitching and neck cracking. It isn't scary anymore. Was it ever? It's just pure cringe. If that's your thing, you'll find plenty of it here. So I guess this was a zombie movie?? The acting at times was so over the top that I literally laughed out loud. I found the first half hour or so to be pretty great. Unfortunately it starts to drag and becomes very repetitive and redundant. I started to get bored and wanted it to end. But I stuck it through. It feels a bit like a wannabe 28 Days Later, which is a far better film and one of the best zombie flicks ever!

I'm American so this french film with subtitles going to the top of my horror list for 2024 independent films is a pretty big feat. It wastes no time which is spectacular and seriously warranted with all these drawn out tv halfway horrors. It's very well filmed even with the handheld steady run & gun style Cinematography, I loved every scene. Definitely a film you can have fun watching with other people. Hearing them scream in french "s'ilvous plait" over and over was like music to my ears. It was choreographed to be chaotic and yet it was incredibly smooth and sharp. It didn't beat around the bush with dumb responses or poor acting it seemed very logical and crazy all at the same time. The dialogue had just enough info without being extra wordy while reading subs. From start to finish I have no complaints. The last scene was hell-fully picturesque. I see the similarities of all young people no matter where your from trying to figure out life getting dealt some life changing anguish 😧 and having nowhere to turn no where to hide and only thing u can do is lose your mind and scream. I love artful simplicity even the movie cover was a good clue to all who watch will be in for a disturbing fun ride.

MadS seemingly came out of nowhere, and as soon as I saw it was a French zombie movie, I was intrigued. The first thing to mention is that the entire film is shot in one continuous take. A remarkable achievement that few filmmakers dare to attempt. There are, however, a few moments where it's clear that if the movie had been shot with multiple takes, certain scenes might have been redone due to minor flaws. But none of these issues are so distracting or problematic that they significantly harm the movie.

This isn't your typical zombie movie; the behavior of the infected is unusual, yet interesting. It brings a fresh take to the genre, which is always appreciated. The characters aren't particularly likable, but they're not bad people either, and the lead actors deliver solid performances. What I enjoyed most about the movie is its realistic feel. The single-take approach contributes to this realism, as does the fact that nothing overly fantastical happens. The characters generally behave in a believable manner, though some of their decisions are a bit foolish and irrational.

Despite that, the film manages to convey a grounded, realistic tone, and even the small dramatic moments worked well for me. Overall, MadS is a decent and unique zombie movie with some flaws, but it still succeeds in the end. [5.6/10]