The Sadness
Directed by Rob Jabbaz
- horror
- thriller
The story
A young couple is pushed to the limits of sanity as they attempt to be reunited amid the chaos of a pandemic outbreak. The streets erupt into violence and depravity, as those infected are driven to enact the most cruel and ghastly things imaginable.
What it’s like
Hard-edged neon and sickly fluorescent light crowd every frame of this Taiwanese horror, with saturated reds and bruised purples bleeding through rain-slick Taipei streets, subway tunnels and cramped apartments. The camera stays close and restless, often handheld and jostled in the chaos, cutting quickly through crowds and then lingering on grotesque close-ups that the film refuses to look away from. The score is pulsing and abrasive, with distorted synth and sudden silences that make each outburst land harder. Its vibe is feverish, nihilistic dread, a city tipping into panic as a virus turns neighbours into predators. Pacing is relentless, with few quiet breaths, and the emotional arc follows a young couple whose desperation to reunite drives them through escalating horror. Intensity is extreme: frequent graphic gore, explicit sexual violence and rape, cannibalism, and mass cruelty, presented without restraint. It is not gentle, and it is not for anyone seeking comfort. It suits viewers who want unflinching, pitch-black pandemic horror and can tolerate sustained brutality.
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