Extremely R-Rated Horror Thriller Will Take You Out Like A Virus

By TeeJay Small
| Published 23 seconds ago

Over the last several years, I’ve recommended a myriad of twisted horror films on this site. I’ve encouraged those who are not faint of heart and weak of stomach to watch films like Bone Tomahawk and Brawl In Cell Block 99. I want to be an authority on film and television that you can trust, without worrying that I’m corralling you toward some kind of cinematic psychological breakdown. Having said that, you’ve got to check out The Sadness, even if it leaves you unable to sleep for days on end.

Since you probably missed it, The Sadness is a 2021 Taiwanese production (bust out the subtitles, dear reader), written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Rob Jabbaz in his feature film debut. The movie is pretty on the nose in regard to its inspiration, as it centers on a global pandemic that shakes up life on Earth almost immediately.

Unlike the real pandemic, which was still very active when this movie was released, The Sadness gives us a deadlier, gorier infection known as the Alvin virus. This virus causes infected individuals to tap in to their most violent, animalistic desires, causing them to lose all control and turn into violent beasts at a moment’s notice.

A Swift And Violent Outbreak

As the narrative kicks off, we’re introduced to Jim (Berant Zhu) and Kat (Regina Lei), two normal residents of Taipei who are preparing for their workday. While the couple get dressed and sip their morning coffee, we see that state media is downplaying the severity of the burgeoning virus, and shifting the news narrative to an upcoming election instead. After dropping Kat off at the train station, Jim quickly comes to realize that the virus is much more serious than he’d been lead to believe, when an elderly woman begins assaulting patrons at a local coffee shop.

As soon as he steps outside of the shop, Jim sees that numerous civilians have been infected, causing car wrecks, gang assaults, and stabbings all over town. He hops on his moped and races across the city, hoping he can reconnect with his girlfriend and get to safety before it’s too late. Meanwhile, Kat is trapped in a subway car with a growing population of homicidal maniacs, including one perverted businessman portrayed by the incomparable Tzu-Chiang Wang.

Please Sir, I Want Some Gore

The rest of the film is essentially a series of loosely connected attempts by Jim and Kat to reconnect, as they become surrounded by gore, gross-out gags, and straight up body horror torture. I estimate that no less than 60 percent of the budget behind The Sadness was spent on fake blood and realistic looking body parts. The film is just about the closest thing you could get to actual war crime footage without crossing the line, and it’ll surely make your stomach turn with each passing scene.

I caught The Sadness when it premiered back in 2021, and I was staggered by how prescient it felt. Today, several years removed from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s only lost a fraction of its relevance. Though this is a movie that’s impossible to watch with most of your friends, I’d say hardcore horror buffs should go ahead and give this one a spin. Just be prepared to have nightmares for a while afterwards, even if you grew up on a steady diet of LiveLeak and The Walking Dead. For better or worse, The Sadness is currently streaming on Shudder.