Review — Rabid 2019
“Rabid” is a fantastic remake of the 1977 film of the same title, and comes to us from my absolute favourite directorial team: The Soska Sisters! The world, in general, has never seemed particularly keen on the idea of movie remakes, and from the opening line of their film, “Why do we keep remaking old trends?”, Jen and Sylvia Soska make it clear that they not only understand this, but are also confident they are about to showcase something that might just change at least a few minds. My mind never needed changing, of course, I have always adored remakes, nevertheless, this one certainly only served to strengthen my resolve. The original, of course, was written and directed by the brilliant David Cronenberg, and is often regarded as a classic, and a “must-see” for true horror fans. I, however, could never say I particularly enjoyed the original, finding it to be somewhat lacking in story and character development — which is, I understand, the point of the film, as more of a statement on a society which so highly prizes sexual gratification, than the more traditional “narrative” — but still, I just prefer a film with…more… and the 2019 remake certainly gives us that. It maintains the message of the original, while also delivering a cohesive and engaging story with more realized characters. “Rabid(2019)”, at first, at least, keeps mostly to the basic story originally written by Cronenberg, but cleverly adapts the plot for a more modern telling, adding details and insight into our main character’s life and mind that create depth and make for a far more well-rounded film, but eventually moves so far beyond that initial idea that it would perhaps be more apt to consider this film to be merely based on Cronenberg’s film, rather than a true “remake”.
“Rabid” begins by properly introducing us to Rose Miller, our main character, who, in the original, was not given so much as a last name. In the new version, however, Rose is also given a backstory and a job as a seamstress for a big fashion designer, with the dream of becoming one herself. In keeping with the original, Rose suffers a terrible motorcycle accident, and her face is horribly disfigured. The special effects and, especially, the prosthetics used in this film, are breathtaking in their grotesque realness. After undergoing an experimental procedure that miraculously restores her face, Rose begins to realize that the changes were never intended to stop there… previously a vegetarian, she begins to crave blood…and that is only the beginning. The “remake” begins by following the original story as closely as possible in modern re-telling, but quickly deviates more and more, because the Soska Sisters are really telling their own story. A much bigger story, one that still holds true to the original point, but then takes it so much further, while also adding new elements and ideas and perspective.
This new version of “Rabid” is bold and dark. The acting is strong all around and the cinematography is superb, expertly capturing the ever-evolving mood with colour and varying levels of saturation. The Soska Sisters’ love for Cronenberg is apparent, their film is an homage in many ways, not just to the original “Rabid” but to some of his other films as well. However, the addition of details and plot, such as Rose’s backstory and her career, makes for a much richer movie-experience. Her background gives us an understanding of her character, and her work, not only gives the film the opportunity to show us some truly amazing runway fashion, but, as the story, and Rose’s transformation, progress, Rose’s stunning designs also give us insight into her thoughts and her state of mind. The whole thing is just wonderfully done, and this review, while longer than most of my others, still barely scratches the surface of the story. I utterly adored this movie and would, of course, strongly recommend it to all the horror fans out there.
