“MadS” opening shot focuses on a painting of someone screaming—almost as if it’s giving away the game about the frantic, adrenaline-filled ride you are about to take. But, it begins with a little bit of debaucherous drug use. A young 18-year-old Romain (Milton Riche) visits his drug dealer in hopes of getting some spoils for him, his girlfriend, and his friends to enjoy a night on the town. He takes his dad’s Mustang out for a little joyride and accidentally drops his joint on one of the pristine leather seats. Notificbly, he’s miffed and pulls over to the side of the road. It’s at that point a bandaged woman, panicked and unable to speak, jumps into the car with him.
What do you do? Writer/director David Moreau doesn’t allow the audience time to decipher what’s going on, as this situation propels you into what the end of the world would feel like from ground level. The “MadS” story is constructed from one continuous take, never looking to break the momentum of what you see on screen. If anything, this French horror film feels like a game of hot potato in the way of… let’s say the infliction happens. While in the car, the audience only gets a tiny morsel of information about the woman. By the time you get to the middle of the film, Moreau shows his cards in what is going on. While Romain is trying his damnest to help her and get the woman to a hospital, she stabs herself. All of the blood has either gotten on Romain or the car itself. One would think this kid should seek medical attention, but so much is on his mind. What would Romain even tell the authorities? How will I explain all of this to my father about his car?
MadS / Photo Credit: Shudder
Most would write the story logically so that rationality wins out. Moreau’s story involves young, well-off people looking for a night on the town. He lets them run with that naivety in “MadS,” which, along with Philip Lozano’s cinematography, gives the film another layer of feeling natural. Romain tries to collect himself when his energetic girlfriend Anais (Laurie Pavy) stops to pick him up to go with friends to a party. His attempt at trying to dance the pain away is admirable, but things start happening that Romain can’t shake off. It begins with cracks of the neck, sudden nose bleeds, and spontaneous fits of aggression out of nowhere. I think you know where I’m going with this, and “MadS” also does.
MadS / Photo Credit: Shudder
The “zombie” transformation is not as immediate as expected in a conventional horror film. These transformations happen over time and require each of the actors to commit to the physicality of them. While the camera doesn’t necessarily break away, the film changes perspectives like it’s handing off a baton – from Romain, Anais, and their mutual friend (and point of contention) Julia (Lucille Guillaume). What is so smart in how “MadS” depicts this outbreak is that citizens around these people would never know this is happening. Even the characters themselves liken their physical changes to “an awful drug trip.” If you are a passerby, you might think their spastic movements and overall wild behavior might be a product of that. However, the film knows the viewer is familiar with these types of films and has the luxury of not jumping to the typical world falling apart. Anais is the character that benefits the most from this focused style. Laurie Pavy conveys so many emotions within a few minutes. There’s disbelief, sadness, and the ultimate giving into whatever this is, and Pavy is having a blast doing so.
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All hell breaks loose once “MadS” provides its last perspective. Where the film leaves the audience is not so much a prelude to an outbreak as it is about how a series of dire circumstances decimated a friend group. Hopefully, a cure will come—but it won’t be this night or anything we see. The pristine fixtures of an upscale French city will eventually burst at the seams, and the bleakness of “MadS” gives a lasting impression.
“MadS is currently available to watch on Shudder
