Rabid (2019) Review
By William Pattison
Gore and Scare everyone!
It is now my pleasure to once again review a film done by The Twisted Twins,
Jen and Sylvia Soska. The film in question is the remake of David Cronenberg
masterpiece Rabid, a very challenging thing to do.
Rabid tells the story of
Rose (played excellently by Laura Vandervoort) who is a meek introverted and
rather plain aspiring fashion designer who is working under the iron hand of
fashion mogul Gunter (played by Mackenzie Gray). Rose’s adopted sister and best
friend Chelsea (played by Hanneke Talbot) tries to help Rose get out of her
shell by getting her a date with fashion photographer Brad (played by Benjamin
Hollingsworth). While at the party Rose goes to the restroom to quell her
anxiety caused by being with Brad and being at the party. While sitting in a
bathroom stall she hears two shallow model twins (played perfectly by Jen and
Sylvia Soska) talking shit about her and laughing about how her sister had to
talk Brad into going out with her. This is enough for Rose. Upset she tries to
leave riding her scooter. She doesn’t watch where she’s going and gets hit by a
car. After she wakes in the hospital to find the lower part of her face
disfigured and her intestine damaged so she would never eat normally again.
Luckily an experimental surgeon who was obsessed with transhumanism offers Rose
a chance to be healed through a unique stem cell procedure. The result is that
Rose’s face and body are completely healed, though the doctor has her drinking
special nutrient drinks as part of her recovery. Unfortunately, for Rose she
doesn’t realize she is the carrier of a new strain of rabies that has a shorter
incubation period. Also, she finds she has strange dreams and a hunger for
blood. Oh, and not to mention the worm-like appendage with a needle-like point
that comes out through her mouth and armpit. Now the city is in danger of being
overcome with the new rabies plague and Rose is the cause.
Now comes the part you’ve
been waiting for…what I thought about this film. Well, first off obviously this
film is nowhere near the masterpiece that the original Rabid is. There just was
no way that Jen and Sylvia Soska could outdo Cronenberg. Cronenberg is a horror
master and he has far more education, skill, and pure artistic genius than The
Twisted Twins could ever muster. But I will say that as a remake and homage to
David Cronenberg’s work the Soskas film is not bad. I honestly have to say this
the best film they’ve done in the horror genre. This film is solid. The ladies'
use of pace, shock, and gore value were matured, unlike their earlier attempts.
I was glad they stuck to classic practical makeup FX rather than CGI, like they
did in See No Evil 2. Also, as much as the red doctors' gowns and gloves gave
me a red light in the trailer, but when I saw it in the context of the film
itself it worked excellently and really pushed the fact that the doctor was
like a cultist. Also, the ending is royally Cronenberg and kind of reminded me
of The Brood.
Since I was first
introduced to the twins years ago, when they were promoting their film Dead
Hooker in a Trunk, a film I loved, I’ve been royally disappointed in the films
they’ve done since. I felt the films for the most point felt shallow and
lacking the spark I saw in Dead Hooker. With Rabid I see that the girls have
matured as filmmakers and in the case of this film took the time to really
craft a film that shows the potential I saw in those fresh film students I knew
who were running around in bars showing their first film. This was the work I
was waiting to see come from them. I hope they take these words to heart and
continue to craft their film rather than just throwing things out quick and not
putting the love into the work. That is the lesson you should get from David
Cronenberg. He puts everything into his art and never compromises. One little
suggestion for Jen and Sylvia…if you could please go back to your roots in a
future project. Leave the shallow world of social circles and give the fans a
well-crafted grindhouse horror film, like of like your own From Dusk Till Dawn.
I’d like to see a bit of grit and humor again. Congratulations on your
achievement ladies.
If I was to rate this
film from a 1 to 5 rating I would give Rabid a hard 4.
