By Becca Johnson - October 21, 2024
The one-take style of filmmaking has been a fan favourite for quite some time now. From box office bangers including 1917, to this years recent horror thriller Home Sweet Home: Where Evil Lives, it’s a method that works beautifully within multiple genres, and one we’re experiencing more frequently within horror as the years pass.
The most recent release to employ this method is French Shudder original MadS, directed by David Moreau (Them) and starring Milton Riche and Lucille Guillaume. It centres on Romain (Riche), who wakes up from a night of partying looking to score, whether that’s with the latest drug or romantic conquest. On his way back home, he encounters an escaped patient who alters the course of his life. Confidently directed with exceptionally high energy levels and a story that surprises at every turn, MadS is a unique and uncomfortably gnarly must watch this spooky season.
MadS is a movie best entered as blind as possible, as it has many a shock in store despite only running for a swift 86 minutes. Part body horror and part zombie-apocalypse thriller, it offers up a very unique storyline that proves the heavily saturated zombie sub-genre of horror still has something new to say. As soon as MadS kicks into gear, with one of the coolest title card drops of the year, it’s an absolute whirlwind of a ride that rarely pauses for breath. Moving briskly from one high octane sequence to the next, it runs at an incredibly fast pace throughout the entire run-time, helping the already snappy 86 minutes fly by. Even during its few moments of levity within the plot, the tenacity and stress levels of the central characters help things remain consistently lively and dynamic. This frantic energy ensures MadS is near impossible to look away from, as it grabs you and sucks you in from beginning to end. With one of the best final shots of the year thus far, it truly delivers from start to finish.
The one-take approach may be merely a gimmick to some, and it might even seem that way within MadS at first glance, but the further the run-time progresses, the more obvious it becomes that this method is perfect paired a story of this calibre. The frenzied cinematography following our characters closely at every step not only increases the energy tenfold, but offers an unadulterated look at the events as they unfold before us. From bombing it down the highway on a motorbike to frantically moving through a house party whilst being blinded my strobe lights, the camera is right on Romain and his peers at all times, ensuring we don’t miss a beat. It’s thankfully not too shaky to turn off those who don’t gel with that found footage style of cinematography, but it does opt for frantic movements and jarring close-ups to match the energy of the plot. It all comes together to create an absolute hell-ride of a movie.
There is a lot of technical prowess on offer outside of the one-take cinematography, too. The performances are absolutely fantastic, which is even more commendable given that the bulk of the cast don’t have much feature length experience under their belts. In the role of lead Romain is Milton Riche, who is brilliant at creating a likable and believable central character worth following. His reaction to the events as they pan out before him are naturalistic, which helps aid the believability of this otherwise apocalyptic film. The remainder of the supporting cast are just as good, with many of them getting their own time to shine as the zombie-like antics reach them.
The score, composed by Nathaniel Mechaly (Taken), is expert at aiding the high energy levels of MadS, as it consistently thumps in the background to engulf the viewer. With all the sounds you’d expect to hear at a late night rave, it’s enough to get your pulse raising by audio alone. Despite all of the above, MadS is a horror movie, and due to it being spooky season, viewers are on the looking for something gory and grisly more so than ever. Luckily, there is plenty on offer to scare, as it boasts disgustingly gruesome body horror, plenty of blood spilled and an anxiety inducing, tense and harrowing overall plot that’s bound to stay with you. It really does deliver on all fronts.
October is always a stacked month when it comes to horror releases, especially straight to streaming fare. Not only is MadS more than worth checking out, but may be the best new release on offer, and more specifically, on Shudder. Its high energy and unique approach sets it apart from the rest, offering a wildly unique experience that boasts good performances, strong direction, suitable gore and and excellent use of the single take method of cinematography. Rarely letting up to let audiences take a breather, it has the ability to keep you in a strong chokehold until those credits roll.
MADS IS STREAMING NOW ON SHUDDER
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