The Reel Review
Shortly after ingesting a mysterious party drug, a young man’s planned evening of fun devolves into a chain reaction of chaos when he tries to help a hysterical bandaged woman while driving home. French writer/director David Moreau (Them) filmed his sci-fi horror/thriller in a single, continuous take.
Within a few minutes, you can’t help but wonder – is this just going to be a long, drug-induced hallucination with an infuriating ending? But about halfway into it, it becomes very clear that it won’t be the case, as we see that everyone in this wild rollercoaster ride of insanity appears to be doomed by an increasingly dire epidemic.
The main actors, all newcomers to acting, give convincing, all-in performances. Details as to the origin of this major epidemic affecting the city are intentionally vague, gradually revealing themselves through the course of the hour and a half thriller. The one continuous take initially gives the horror a chaotic immediacy, but the gimmick ultimately distracts from the story, as interest drifts into how Moreau is going to connect the dots and stick his landing. Still, he gets points for creativity.
REEL FACTS
• In David Moreau’s 2006 horror/thriller Them, a couple is terrorized by silent home invaders trying to kill them for no apparent reason.
• MadS writer/director David Moreau is the son of French actor Jean-Luc Moreau.
• MadS was filmed in the Grand Est region of northeastern France over five days.
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