Shudder Secrets: MadS a Drug-Fueled, Apocalyptic Horror

David Moreau made a name for himself as writer of the 2006 New French Extremity film Them. As the director behind the drug-fueled, apocalyptic nightmare MadS, he crafted a film just as vicious as anything from the movement he was initially associated with. His feature is a bloody, harrowing one-shot, influenced heavily by the likes of George A. Romero’s zombie movies and 28 Days Later.

Though we’ve seen plenty of end-of-the-world horror movies before with the infected, we haven’t seen one quite like this. It’s not the violence that makes Moreau’s film stand out. Rather, it’s the way he shot it. The continuous take creates a mad and chaotic energy that makes it feel like you are indeed watching the world collapse, starting with a French town. MadS is one of Shudder’s strongest features of 2024.

Drugs, a Party, and an Experimentation Gone Horribly Wrong

MadS first opens from the POV of Romain (Milton Riche). He scores a new drug from his dealer, takes a hit, and then decides to bring it to a party he and his girlfriend, Anais (Lucille Guillaume), plan to host while Romain’s father is away for the night. Shortly after he leaves his dealer’s place, Romain encounters a hysterical bandaged woman who jumps into his passenger seat and refuses to leave. Immediately, it’s clear something’s wrong. She plays an eerie recording that hints she escaped from a lab. Then, she starts stabbing herself, bleeding all over Romain.

Eventually, with this woman passed out in his lap, oozing blood, Romain arrives at home. The party begins, and as it progresses, Romain’s health worsens. We follow his POV throughout the party, where the loud music and thumping bass feels disorienting and dizzying the more Romain’s health wanes. It’s clear the drug has a negative effect and turns those who use it into a snarling, chomping, zombie-like creature. Of course, Romain shares the drug throughout the party, and well, you can assume what occurs next.

MadS’ Effective Shifting POVS

This film also works so well because of the shifting POVs. Initially, we follow Romain for about half of the runtime before the camera shifts to Anais’ POV. Of all the performances, Guillaume’s is the best. Her desperation is gut-wrenching when she realizes what’s transpiring, especially as the military swoops in and guns down the infected, while mowing down the innocent in the process.

The third POV follows Julia (Laurie Pavy), Anais’ best friend, who, like Anais and Romain, hopes to survive the night. It’s impressive how seamlessly Moreau shifts from one POV to the next, continuing the chaotic camera work and handing the story off to another character, while not necessarily concluding Anais’ story before Julia takes the narrative lead. I’ve never seen a zombie movie handled this way. It makes for frantic, yet immersive storytelling and camerawork.

To add, it can’t be understated just how well the one-shot works for this film. It creates a sense of punk rock energy and disorientation that again, makes it feel like the world truly is ending. As for the infected, they’re not Romero’s slow-walking zombies. They’re far more akin to Zack Snyder’s 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake or 28 Days Later. Simply put, they’re fast and vicious, reduced to primal, animalistic instincts.

Unlike a Romero film, MadS isn’t out to make a statement. Still, it doesn’t need to. It follows three characters for one night when their town is overtaken by the infected. This film has a mad, feverish energy that makes it stand out from the endless zombie media already out there. Mads is truly a must-see.

MadS infects Shudder on October 18. Keep updated on the streaming service’s latest releases by following my Shudder Secrets column.