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MadS (David Moreau, 2024)

After the euphoric buzz of Coralie Fageat's outstanding body-horror The Substance (2024) comes the inevitable comedown. It's been a downer for quality films the last couple of weeks. Nothing new has provided a decent high. Fortunately, Shudder's usual deluge of shite horror has been mickey finned with actual dope. French film maker, David Moreau, the bloke responsible for the utterly compelling home-invasion thriller Them (2006) AKA Ils, has achieved a blinding comeback with the electrifying zombie horror, MadS (2024) — you're guess is about as good as mine as to why it's spelt like that.

Playboy, rich kid Romain (Milton Riche), kickstarts his eighteenth birthday celebrations with snorting a few lines of a mystery party drug and driving around in his old man's vintage sports car, when suddenly, a completely distraught young woman, in bandages, bumps into his vehicle. Ruining Romain's high, the distressed passenger plays a recording device which clues him in on what's happened to her. Unwilling to be busted for being high as a kite, Romain hangs-up his call to the emergency services, once he's informed the police would also be notified. Deciding to take the mysterious passenger to the local hospital and dump her there, she repeatedly cuts herself in despair, bleeding all over the birthday boy, before slumping to her presumed death in the passenger's seat. In utter shock, Romain drives her to his house, instead. Score!

Now in a panic, Romain hops in the shower to wash all the blood off. He's disturbed by his father calling to enquire about his flight details. During this time, his mysterious passenger is no longer in the parked car, or anywhere in the garage. Romain presumes she has somehow left the premises. Without a moment to reflect on everything which has occurred, his girlfriend, Anais (Laury Pavy) arrives. They're both picked up by their loud and leary friends and taken to a near-by house party. We're introduced to Anais' best friend Julia (Lucille Guillaume) and the revelation that she's been secretly having an affair with Romain and might be pregnant. Domestic soap story shenanigans aside, the house party is primarily focused on Romain's deteriorating state, along with his eccentric behaviour.

MadS' ultimate selling point is the novelty of it being shot in one take. A phenomenal feat, as it's a logistical nightmare for any film. Miraculously, MadS succeeds in this endeavour as the viral outbreak spreading in real time lends to an utterly kinetic and adrenaline charged film; laced with unsettling anxiety. Cinematographer Philip Lozano deserves major credit for photographing such an aesthetically pleasing film. MadS looks striking, even with sickly, yellow street light illuminations. Astonishingly, the film avoids the typical disorientating and dizzying ordeal inherent in many POV + found footage films, allowing for the viewer to process events on-screen much easier. If anything, for its ilk, it looks grandiose and cinematic at times. Even more commendable, is the skilful switching of its three protagonists during this nihilistic night, which feels both natural and effortless.

Technically, MadS is a zombie film! Being all in real time, it's a slow process from the unfortunately infected victim to an undead, flesh-eating fiend. There are some unique differences, however:

• The infected exhibit extreme emotional swings and outbursts.
  
• They can hear maniacal laughing and voices in their heads.
  
• Infectees show exaggerated character traits of their former selves. For instance, Anais' sexual desires are amplified greater. "You smell good. Can I smell you?" she utters off-screen to Julia's neighbour before killing him.
  
• Light makes them superhuman. As evident during a memorable moped chase sequence and a poor man being thrown over a barrier and into a river.
  

Julia's encounter with Noa (Lewkowski Yovel), one of the armed, hazmat suited containment operatives, offers important information about these zombies: "This life no longer exists. Listen to me. How do you feel? Is your head spinning? Are you hearing voices? Are you drawn to the light? If you haven't ingested any of their blood, you're okay. Stay in the dark. Use as little light as possible. It makes them stronger."

Moreau's zombie film bears all its influences on-screen. The most obvious ones being The Crazies (1973) and 28 Days Later (2002). The latter being even more pronounced with a score that sounds blatantly similar to John Murphy's classic soundtrack. There is also the claustrophobic spontaneity of [REC] (2007) and various recognisable elements associated with Gaspar Noé's oeuvre. None of this makes MadS less than the sum of its parts, however. If anything, Moreau clearly understands why all those elements worked, and manages to weave them into his film, creating a unique and refreshing take on a tired and completely oversaturated subgenre.

Remarkably, MadS achieves so much in its lean run time. Watching it again the following night, is equally rewarding as various details and nuances, missed initially, further improve what was already a great film. MadS is both mesmerising and energetic. The tone might overall be nihilistic, but it's a thoroughly riveting viewing experience, regardless. A white-knuckle, roller coaster film which is highly recommended, as it's easily one of the great horror highlights this year. Should have released it in the cinema, ladS!