Rabid (2019) – A Movie A Day #79

I had heard mixed things about this remake of David Cronenberg’s 1977 movie of the same name, but I ended up renting it after all the brand new movies for the week had been checked out (yes, I still rent physical media). So Rabid might have been a backup plan for the night, but it’s not like I didn’t want to see it. I usually enjoy body horror quite a lot, and the movie looked promising. I’d heard of the the directors of this new version of Rabid, the Soska Sisters, but the only movie I’d previously seen of theirs was See No Evil 2. It was fine. But really, one movie isn’t enough to really know what a director’s films are like. So, I didn’t know much about what to expect from Rabid.

Rabid is about a woman, Rose, who works for a fashion designer, but she dreams of being a designer herself. Rose keeps to herself and lacks confidence in all aspects of her life. After a night where her confidence is built up only to be shattered by people close to her, she suffers an accident that leaves her disfigured. After deciding to undergo an experimental operation, Rose’s body and face are better than ever, but there are some side effects. Rose develops some unusual cravings, and people that come into close contact with her eventually turn into violent, raving (i.e. rabid) maniacs. 

The movie really focuses on Rose and her experience rather than the violent murders happening throughout the city. I liked that part about it, but overall I thought it was just okay. As the body horror aspect of the movie increased later in the film, it started to look a little silly at times. A lot of the effects were good, but some important ones weren’t. I also thought there was great potential for some strong commentary from a female perspective, but that part felt like it took a backseat to the plot and all the blood. It was an okay balance, but again, it was just okay. It felt like it wanted to be a cross between Raw and The Neon Demon, but it ended up feeling more like a pretty good low-budget gore movie.

There were some memorable bits for me though. Phil Brooks (CM Punk) was in the movie, and seeing him so on a maniacal rage and just face-first through a window was pretty great. Also, Brooks’s wife, AJ Mendez Brooks, showed up late in the movie as a catty fashion model. That was fun. And I did enjoy most of the movie. I just don’t think I’ll be seeing it again.

I thought I had seen David Cronenberg’s original, but watching this version, I realize I hadn’t. That’s something I’ll need to remedy soon.